Included in the topics for discussion are assessing resiliency on its Business Continuity Plan (BCP), and a new export pathway through the United Kingdom-Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

DTI Davao de Oro OIC Provincial Director Patrick Kim Evangelio stressed that the forum is tailor-fitted to the province’s pressing needs.

“Our office saw the need to consolidate efforts to check the exporters’ resiliency amidst these calamities. We wanted to ensure that despite the different challenges that the province faces, businesses are still thriving; they are still sustainable,” Evangelio said.

He added that the agency hopes to evaluate the resiliency of these exporters and would-be-exporters as well as identify which of [our] programs and services could greatly assist and support them.

Recently, the provincial government declared a total of around P1 billion in  damages to infrastructure and agriculture due to the effects of shear line and trough of the Low Pressure Area, affecting the whole province from January to February 2024.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also revealed that Davao de Oro posted a growth rate of only 6.1 percent in 2022, the lowest among the Davao region’s six provinces.

Even with this, DTI is optimistic, as the province has maintained its position as the third most competitive province in the region in the latest Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index (CMCI).

Also, Pantukan town was recognized as the overall most competitive municipality among first- to second-class towns in the region. (MLU/PIA Davao de Oro)