Go LOCAL and Multiply: Networking for Investment Opportunities in Agribusiness and Tourism is aimed at encouraging partnerships, exchanging industry practices and attracting investments. Designed to bring together the 10 local government unit (LGU) alliances supported by LGSP-LED, prospective investors, national government agencies and international donors, this forum will find ways of taking advantage of the economic growth opportunity in agribusiness and tourism.
The forum offers a succinct solution to LGUs that wish to position themselves at the forefront of agriculture and tourism development. It will be an opportunity for select LGUs; prospective investors from the national government agencies, business and industry players; and international development partners to showcase key investment opportunities in Agribusiness and Tourism, and participate in networking sessions to forge investment partnerships with local governments.
Among the economic investment opportunities that were promoted in the forum are the:
- Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Rice programs of the One Pangasinan Alliance of LGUs (OPAL), the Clustered Upland Municipalities of Ilocos Sur (CUMILOS) and the Bohol Integrated Area Development V (BIAD V);
- the Agro-Industry (mango and cassava) and Eco-Cultural programs of the DDPKaRoMa Growth Corridor in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte;
- the Banana Industry Competitiveness and Enhancement Program of the 2nd Integrated Area Development cluster of the Province of Iloilo;
- the Coconut Industry of the PALMA-PB Alliance in the Province of North Cotabato;
- the Community-Based Rural Tourism initiatives of the Province of Guimaras; and
- Tourism Industry development in the Northeast Iloilo Growth Corridor, the Province of Northern Samar and in the Coastal Towns in the North Clustered for Integrated Development (COINCIDE) in the Province of Ilocos Norte, where the town of Pagudpud is located.
The forum featured two guest speakers. Mr. Dan Taylor, a leading global expert and international speaker on developing creative rural economies, shared his experience in growing local economies, emphasizing the role of government as enabler and facilitator of the process. A creative problem-solver for community and economic development growth, Mr. Taylor is currently the President and CEO of the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation and Innovation Cluster in Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Guillermo Luz, Private Sector Co-Chair of the National Competitiveness Council, provided both facts and insights on local competitiveness, saying that transparency will make us more competitive. He encouraged local governments to work harder and pick up the pace in order to improve the country’s competitiveness ranking. “Moving slowly is not an option. Not moving at all is suicide”.
Finally, the forum was also an opportunity to introduce the upcoming Guide for LGUs on Formulating a Local Investment and Incentives Code. The code is a proactive measure to draw both local and foreign investments, especially in priority areas/industries in a locality. It will also help ensure that development is consistent with the LGU’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), and overall local economic development vision.
This forum is organized by the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in collaboration with the National Convergence Initiative (NCI) for Rural Development, comprised of the Departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, and Environment and Natural Resources, and the Board of Investments of the Department of Trade and Industry.