The Davao City Investment Promotion Center through the City Government of Davao recently participated in the 2nd Innovation Summit dubbed, “Convergent Innovations: Intensifying Gains in the Global Digital Economy” held at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier from Nov. 7 to 9, 2024.

The groundbreaking event, organized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII), promises to unlock unprecedented investment opportunities in the region. It discussed helping businesses immerse themselves in future technologies, and provided insights on how businesses, startups, and industries could prepare for emerging technologies, such as digital currency, renewable energy, and electric vehicles, while addressing challenges posed by climate change.

Technology, as one of Davao City’s preferred investment areas, has emerged as a prime hub for the Information and Communication Technology – Business Processing Management (ICT-BPM) industry in the Philippines, driven by: surging tech and BPO investments; highly skilled ICT talent pool; and continuous business environment improvements

Recognized as a Center of Excellence, Davao City attracts ICT-BPM companies, fueling demand for IT Parks and PEZA-accredited facilities.

About 300 participants consisting of key business players from the academe, digital nomads, e-commerce, overseas and local trade visitors representing importers, exporters, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, trading firms, department stores, investors, local and foreign chambers, policy makers, and media attended the event.

The three-day event featured 33 exhibitors showcasing technology and solutions, supporting Mindanao’s sustainable development goals. 

The City Government of Davao through the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC) recently presented during the Regional ICT Summit Exhibitions (RISE 11) highlighting the contribution of the IT-BPM industry in the local setting.

During its RISE 11 presentation, Christian D. Cambaya, DCIPC Unit Head, said the IT-BPM sector is key to boosting the economy by providing millions of jobs and bringing in a lot of opportunities to help the local grow and thrive.

“It doesn’t just create jobs, it also drives innovation and makes local businesses more competitive worldwide,” Cambaya said.

Mr. Cambaya reported that Davao City garnered the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Davao Region at P495.31 billion, contributing a total of 51.9% in the region, and 70.4% in terms of services. 

“The BPO industry contributes substantially to Davao’s GDP, and the city is one of the

largest contributors to the country’s BPO revenue after Metro Manila, Cebu, and Clark,” he said.

He added that the IT-BPM industry has contributed more job creation and employment opportunities for local residents, especially among young professionals and recent graduates. 

“As of 2023, the BPO sector in Davao employs over 75,000 people directly, according to industry sources, making it one of the largest employers in the city,” he said.

He also underscored that it also led to a significant real estate development, improvement in infrastructure, skills development and workforce quality enhancement, increased government revenue and public services, growth in local enterprises, and social and lifestyle enhancements. 

Technology, as one of the preferred investment areas of Davao City, contributed approximately P15-P20 billion with a growth rate of 8% to 10% in the local economy. 

“At present, Davao City is witnessing a favorable trend in the expansion of the office market.  Due to the influx of BPO/KPO, there is an increase in the demand for office spaces. Purchasing power has also increased,” he stated.

Mr. Cambaya also stressed how the city supports and assists such investment to continuously come in.

“What we’re actually doing is trying to make our policies more efficient, which includes securing business permits and other local permits and all and we believe if we do this right, more investors will come in,” he added.

The RISE 11 also discussed various impacts of the IT-BPM industry in different sectors, from customer support to software development, which enabled countless careers, bolstered businesses, and ensured that the economy remained competitive on the global stage.

The 2nd Innovation Summit took place at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier from Nov. 7 to 9, 2024 and one of the main highlights of the event was the RISE 11.

In an effort to establish an inter-city collaborative relationship and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between cities, the City Government of Davao, Republic of the Philippines, recently signed a Sister City Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the City Government of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, held on Oct. 29, Tuesday, at Matina Enclaves Residences, Matina, Davao City.

The City of Davao and the City of Hamamatsu aim to establish a collaborative environment, fostering open communication and the exchange of ideas in key areas. This partnership seeks to promote mutual understanding and cooperation in education, academia, industry, and investment, driving growth and development in both cities.

The signing ceremony was led by Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte and Hamamatsu City Mayor Yusuke Nakano, and were attended by respective government officials and private business sectors from both cities.

Mayor Duterte highlighted how crucial it is for a locality to forge strong bonds and economic ties across international borders in this era of globalization, as this could harness opportunities for exponential growth and progress. 

“As such we are truly honored to have been offered the opportunity to forge a collaborative relationship and establish a mutually beneficial cooperation with Hamamatsu,” Mayor Duterte said. 

In response, Mayor Nakano said the city of Hamamatsu continues to promote intercultural relationships for its residents, and among them are 6,000 Filipino nationals who have continually contributed their efforts in various fields and industries. 

“Hamamatsu and Davao were similar when it comes to the tolerance of our citizens, friendly individuals who welcome everyone with open arms. I believe that it is extremely meaningful that our cities feel a mutual sense of familiarity thanks to our similarities, and we’ll go on to strengthen our relationships by sharing our knowledge and experience,” Mayor Nakano said.

He also hoped that the MoU will revitalize activities of businesses and citizens in both the cities, and Hamamatsu and Davao will continue to grow and together will build a better future.

On February 15, 2024, the Hamamatsu City Hall Affairs Division Director Mr. Matsui Yoshikazu paid a courtesy call to Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte, expressing Hamamatsu City’s intent to build sisterhood projects with Davao City such as Japanese language scholarships and donation programs.

The Sister City Agreement proposal between Davao City and Hamamatsu City was approved during the 2nd Davao City Council on International Relations Board (DCIRB) Meeting last July 3, 2024. 

One of the positive results of the MOU signing, between the two cities, Yamaha Music Philippines Inc. (YMPH) also forged a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide musical instruments to the following elementary schools: Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School, Matina Central Elementary School and Mintal Elementary School.

Yamaha Music Philippines Inc., or YMPH, is a sales subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation in the Philippines, is a Japanese musical instruments and audio equipment manufacturer. The company imports and sells musical instruments and audio equipment in the Philippines.

YMPH also started its “School Project” with the aim of popularizing activities using music and musical instruments in public education in order to provide more children with opportunities to play and convey the joy of music and musical instruments.

Hamamatsu is a home of multinational automotive manufacturers Toyota and Honda, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Corporation, Kawai Musical Instruments, Roland Corporation, and Hamamatsu Photonics have also developed into household names in the global consumer market.

Several companies from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (PCCIJ) in partnership with the Davao City Investment Promotions Center (DCIPC) conducted a business matching and networking forum together with the Davao City business sector, held at Acacia Hotel Davao on Oct. 23. 

The business forum was organized to facilitate and explore opportunities that soon will widen beneficial partnerships between Japanese and local enterprises. 

During the forum, PCCIJ chairperson Allan Reyes, said in his speech that the forum will not just form coordination between the countries, but could also be beneficial to foster economic growth and generate more job opportunities. 

Among the Japanese member companies which participated in the forum were into financial investment, education and stock brokerage; Information Technology (IT), immigration law and human resource consulting; recruitment; e-commerce; and car dealer and vehicle repair maintenance. 

In the same way, DCIPC officer-in-charge April Marie Dayap, emphasized that the gathering represents a vital opportunity for Japanese companies to explore vast business and investment potentials of Davao City and the region. 

“Davao City is fast emerging as a strategic gateway for investment in the Philippines, with its robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, and investor-friendly policies. We are confident that through this forum, we will be able to foster stronger connections, develop new ventures, and create lasting collaborations that will drive economic growth not only for Davao City but for both our countries,” Dayap said.

Local entrepreneurs under the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI), and from other distinguished companies and organizations also participated in the event.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (PCCIJ) aims to develop and advance the relationship between the Philippines and Japan through international trade and investments. 

The City Government of Davao recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Municipality of Sta. Cruz at the Municipal Hall Bldg., Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur on Friday, Oct. 18. 

As the 16th local sister city of Davao, government units will cooperate in the areas of (1) health, education, and social services; (2) public safety and disaster management; (3) promotion of tourism, culture, and arts; (4) environmental protection and conservation; (5) agriculture and animal shelter management; (6) gender and development practices; governance, (7) planning and human resource management system; and (8) legislative formulation, codification, and research.

The Municipality of Sta. Cruz expressed its interest in entering into a sisterhood agreement with the City Government of Davao last January 22.

The signing ceremony was led by the City Mayor of Davao, Hon. Sebastian Z. Duterte, and Sta. Cruz Municipal Mayor Jose Nelson Z. Sala, Sr. It was also attended and witnessed by Coun. Myrna G. L’Dalodo-Ortiz, Coun. Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique N. Advincula, Coun. Al Ryan S. Alejandre, Coun. Edgar P. Ibuyan Jr., Coun. Trisha Ann J. Villafuerte, Coun. Richlyn N. Justol-Baguilod, and all the respective members of Sangguniang Bayan of Sta. Cruz.

During the event, Mayor Sebastian Duterte underscored the importance of unity and cooperation among neighboring cities, especially during the trying seasons.

“It is crucial to display unity and cooperation during these times of challenges,” Mayor Duterte said.

In the same way, Sta. Cruz Mayor Jose Sala thanked the City Government of Davao for considering the municipality as one of its sister cities. 

“Sta. Cruz might be older enough than Davao City but we have a lot of things to learn from them, especially regarding their economic development,” Mayor Sala said. 

Sta. Cruz is a first-class municipality in the province of Davao del Sur. It was founded on October 5, 1884, under Executive Order No. 249, making it the oldest city in Davao del Sur. It is a popular destination for eco- and sports tourism activities such as water tubing and hiking.

Sta. Cruz’s economy is driven by agriculture, fisheries, mining, forestry, manufacturing, power generation, and MSMEs. The municipality’s major products include coconut, banana, abaca, coffee, durian, lanzones, desiccated coconut, coco flour, banana chips, refined bleached virgin coconut oil, coco nets, beer, soda, bottled water, cement, coal power, and hydropower. Santa Cruz hosts industrial plants of large companies such as Coca-Cola Philippines Beverages Inc., Aboitiz Power (hydropower and coal plant), San Miguel Brewery (SMB), Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines (FBCOP), and San Miguel Foods Inc. – BMEG Sta. Cruz Feed Mill, among others.

The officials from both LGUs concluded the event with a plant tour inside the San Miguel Brewery, where they also met with the staff of SMB and a brief discussion meeting followed. 

The City Government of Davao through the Davao City Investment Promotion Center, City Tourism Operations Office and City Mayor’s Office joined the Davao Region  tourism roadshow organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region XI targeting the cities of Sydney and Melbourne Australia from September 29 to October 4, 2024.

At Radisson’s Blu Hotel at Sydney, Australia on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, DOT XI brought together an audience of Australian travel and tour operators to promote the tourism products of Davao City, and the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental.

The event kicked off with an opening and welcome message by the Philippine Consul General Rowena C. Aviquivil, followed by an overview of the Philippines’ tourism profile by the DOT Sydney Tourism Attaché Pura Molintas.

Program highlights included the Philippines Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air representatives promoting their flight offerings connecting Australia and the Philippines, DOT 11 Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan introducing Davao Region’s tourism products to the attendees, and DCIPC Unit Head Christian Cambaya presenting the tourism and investment opportunities in Davao City.

The roadshow capped off with a lunch reception, networking, and a B2B matching session. City Tourism Operations Office Ms. Jennifer R. Romero and Atty. Jonah Presto of the City Mayor’s Office were also present to facilitate the B2B matching session with the Australian travel and tour operators. 

The Davao Region tourism roadshow will hold a second leg on October 3, 2024 at Ibis Hotel and Apartments, Melbourne City, Australia.