PNoy to attend 22nd Minbizcon

DAVAO CITY Aug.1 (PIA)- President Benigno Aquino III is slated to attend the 22nd Mindanao Business Conference which will be held in Davao City this August 8-10.

The President's confirmation was relayed by John Gaisano conference director of the said event during his guesting at the Club 888 Media Forum held yesterday (July 31) at Marco Polo Davao.

Gaisano said they are hoping that the President attend the first day of the event on August 8. In an earlier schedule the President was set to deliver the message on the last day of the conference.  The Presidential party will also be composed of cabinet secretaries.

The organizers have invited 11 other cabinet secretaries who will personally address the issues raised in the different Mindanao regional consultations that were conducted prior to the Minbizcon. Among those invited were the Secretaries of the  Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) , Department of Finance, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

According to Gaisano they had consulted nearly 250 businessmen and industry organization leaders in five regions all over Mindanao and asked them to identify key economic concerns that will be presented during the event. "This is the first time that Minbizcon will be an issue-oriented conference." Gaisano added.  

Part of the discussions will be the looming effects of the ASEAN integration this 2015 where ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) will be joined into a single market economy.

The event is expected gather around 1,000 delegates mostly key business leaders from Mindanao and the Philippines as well as guests coming from the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

Gaisano bared that they are expecting more people to attend as the secretariat have reported that the number of pre-registrants are twice as many compared to those who pre-registered from previous Minbizcons. "We are expecting that there will be more than a thousand delegates." Gaisano said.

He added that he hopes the Minbizcon will be successful. Not in terms of the President's presence or the overwhelming attendance but that the government has addressed most of the issues raised during the conference. (PIA/RG Alama)