North Cotabato, Indonesia agree to boost economic cooperation

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — Indonesian Consul General Dicky Fabrian and North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco have agreed to embark on joint programs meant to boost the economy of the province.

Catamco said Sunday she and Fabrian met at her office in the provincial capitol last Wednesday and talked about possible bilateral cooperation on domestic economic initiatives.

According to the governor, she and the Indonesian diplomat have initially agreed to work out the possible export of North Cotabato’s agricultural products to Indonesia, a member-state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The OIC, a bloc of over 50 Muslim states, including petroleum-exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa, is a key benefactor of Malacañang’s peace process with the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Catamc told Fabrian during their meeting that the Indonesian consulate and the North Cotabato provincial government can jointly organize an agriculture trade fair as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic is over for traders and entrepreneurs from Indonesia and the province can meet and explore possible tie-up ventures.

“We in the province can also buy products from Indonesia,” Catamco said Sunday.

Catamco said trading activities between the business communities in Indonesia and North Cotabato is viable once the Central Mindanao Airport in Mlang town in North Cotabato, designed for large cargo and passenger aircrafts, becomes functional.

The Catamco administration and the national government are now cooperating in fixing the problems that stalled the supposed operation of the airport since it was constructed more than a decade ago.

Fabrian had told Catamco Indonesia has more than $7 billion worth of investments in the Philippines, a large amount of it poured into Mindanao for various business projects.