DAVAO CITY, PH – Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) partners with Davao Association USA (DAUSA) and Filipino-American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) to promote and market agricultural and tourism assets of Mindanao in California, United States.
“California has the largest concentration of Filipinos in US and we must bring to this potential market abroad our Mindanao products,” said MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.
Following the meeting of DAUSA and FACLA President Fernandico Gonong, Jr. with Secretary Piñol yesterday, Gonong and colleagues meet private sectors and City Government officials of Davao to discuss the results and details sending Mindanao products to the US.
MinDA’s Investment Promotion Division facilitated series of development discussions for the group.
The Fil-AM group meets with Benjamin Lao of Lao’s Integrated Farm in Bansalan, Davao del Sur the potential marketing and exporting of coconut-based products in Los Angeles, California.
“We are glad to know that Lao’s Farm has the capacity to provide the needed supply for coconut-based products to our city,” said Gonong.
On the other hand, Mr. Lao sees the opportunity to expand the destinations of his products aside from Australia and New Zealand.
“We are ready to produce more because we have the raw materials. By this opportunity, I can help more our local coconut farmers in Bansalan,” Lao emphasized.
The group also meets Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated (DCCCII) President John Carlo Tria.
“Maybe we can do Durian Business Opportunity Tour in the US because we forsee that this product will sooner become a potential export asset of Davao City,” said Tria.
To promote Davao City’s tourism and other untapped destinations of Mindanao, he further said that” we should tailor more tourism packages meant for foreign customers because Davao now is more for local tourists, and there are still so many destinations,” he added.
Outgoing DAUSA President Jane Tesoro also agreed with President Tria’s observation and suggested that initiatives to be done should promote a better image of Mindanao abroad, particularly for Filipino-Americans.
“We went here because we know that Mindanao is no longer a place to be terrified of. It is now a place to be proud of because we have so many positive things to offer. And want to bring this experience back to US for our families and friends,” Teneroso stressed out.
The group’s last meeting was with Davao City Investment Promotion Center’s Officer-in-Charge April Marie Dayap for the City’s investment and international relations efforts.
“We would be happy to visit Los Angeles and be able to meet the Mayor for possible sisterhood agreement with Davao City. Currently, we are still finalizing our list of international roadshows to better promote and market Davao City as investment hub,” said Dayap.
Dayap also expressed her interest for Davao City to join the world-renown Rose Parade in Pasadena, California on January 2021.
“We can bring our Davao products, tourism packages, and investment portfolios in the event to entice our Filipino community and American friends to invest in the city,” she added.
MinDA will assist in facilitating and coordinating the technical requirements of the results and greements of the meetings done by DAUSA and FACLA with the said offices. #IntegratingMinDAnao
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