Japanese PM visit to spur Japanese investments in Davao, says city exec

DAVAO CITY—The visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Davao City last week will boost the city’s investments, a City Hall official said on Monday.

“We are confident as Davao City has successfully gained more interest from the Japanese businessmen,” said Davao City Investment and Promotions Center head Lemuel Ortonio.

Ortonio said Japanese businessmen should “invest, live, and play” in Davao City and take advantage of the city’s robust economy and ease of doing business.

In a video presentation, Ortonio showed the top 10 preferred investment areas in Davao, the diverse tourism activities, and priority government programs of the local government.

The 10 investment areas are agriculture business sector; tourism and recreational facilities; light manufacturing and assembly; property development; health and wellness, educational, and sports facilities; environmental protection and green projects; information and communication technology; generation of new sources of energy; transportation and infrastructure; and public-private partnership projects.

Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, who represented Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio during the Philippines-Japan Business Forum held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel on Friday, said the peace and security program of the city leadership creates business confidence on the city.

The forum, held during Abe’s visit, was attended by at least 20 Japanese businessmen and representatives from such companies as Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Itochu, Sumitomo, Toyota, and Mizuho.

Executives from Chodai Company Limited, Sumifru (Philippines) Corporation, and Concentrix, which have all established base in the city, also shared their business success stories to the Japanese delegation.

The city’s pitch was also supported by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez by presenting the country’s growth trajectory and investment opportunities, emphasizing that the Philippines should be a great trade and investment partner for Japan because of its growing and stable economy, improved competitiveness and investment grade, strategic location in Asia, and human capital advantage.