Chinese firm reviews viable businesses in Cotabato province

KIDAPAWAN CITY — Chinese investors and Cotabato provincial officials on Thursday met and discussed the prospects of setting up viable businesses that can boost local commerce and trade, generate employment and revenues for the government.

Cotabato province, covering 17 towns and this city that has more than 40 barangays, is now touted as the new investment hub of Region 12, also known as the Soccsksargen Region.

Provincial Administrator Aurora Garcia, chiefs of other offices under Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, Thomas Chen, who is chairman the Emandarin Ventures Incorporated (EVI), and his partners, Anderson Wong and Bob Yan, talked about the investment potentials of the province during a dialogue in Cotabato City on Thursday.

Garcia said on Friday that the visiting Chinese investors told her and other officials of the provincial government that the EVI is engaged in agriculture, industrial technology and manufacturing businesses.

Chen said during their meeting that they can engage, along with local counterparts, in feasible business projects in Cotabato province.

Mendoza, who was then out town for an official engagement, told reporters on Friday that a number of businessmen from different regions and abroad had reached out to them in recent months, seeking insights on the investment potentials of the province.

“We are thankful to the three Chinese executives of the Emandarin Ventures Incorporated for visiting the province to study the viability of putting up businesses in the area. That was a strong show of confidence in the business atmosphere of Cotabato province,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said her administration is also keen on enticing investors to engage with micro, small and medium enterprises in the 63 Bangsamoro barangays in different towns in Cotabato province in Region 12, but are under the jurisdiction of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“These areas are now peaceful as a result of the Mindanao peace process of Malacañang. The socio-economic growth of these Bangsamoro barangays will have a positive impact on the economy of the municipalities in the territory of Cotabato province,” Mendoza said.