DAVAO CITY: Dinagat Islands Governor Nilo Demerey Jr. is optimistic that his province will receive much-needed development aid and investment opportunities after participating in the Mindanao Development Forum 2024, which culminated here Thursday.
In a press briefing Thursday, Demerey said the forum has become a platform that would unlock the province’s potentials with the help of foreign and domestic investors.
‘I am hopeful that not only investments will come in, but also assistance. I have been with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for two days, and I saw potential connections where the programs implemented in certain areas in Mindanao can be replicated in the Caraga Region, such as the seaweed industry in Tawi-Tawi, farming in Bukidnon, and agricultural development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.” Demerey said.
Meanwhile, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and three development partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday
night for various partnerships to help Mindanaoans achieve resiliency and competitiveness.
MinDA signed three MOUs with USAID, ACDI/VOCA USAID Cooperative Development Program, and Global Green Growth Institute.
MinDA and USAID, through the USAID Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND), signed the MOU to continue providing technical assistance to the Mindanao Development Forum, the Mindanao Development Agenda, and the crafting of the Mindanao Intermodal Transport Logistics Study.
USAID-RESPOND, through the U.P. (University of the Philippines) Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Incorporated (UPPAF), will provide technical assistance in the conduct of the Mindanao Intermodal Transport Logistics Study.
The MinDA and ACDI/VOCA USAID Cooperative Development Program aims to strengthen agricultural and indigenous peoples’ (IP) cooperatives in Mindanao.
Likewise, ACDI/VOCA and the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) will collaborate through the Cooperative
Development Program (CDP) to provide training and technical assistance to develop a culturally responsive proof of concept of MinDA’s IP programming and community of practice.
Further, MinDA and the Global Green Growth Institute signed an MOU to establish a framework for cooperation and facilitate participants’ collaboration.
The goal is to advance the development and adoption of green growth strategies and policies in Mindanao, explicitly promoting sustainable development, environmental conservation, and social inclusivity.
Source: Philippines News agency