DAVAO CITY, Feb. 18 (PNA) — The amount of investments poured in Davao del Norte topped among all projects facilitated by the Board of Investments (BOI) in the region in 2014.
In a report processed by the Department of Trade and Industry-Davao Region (DTI-Davao), it can be noted that 67.7 percent or P8.494 billion of the P12.544 billion total investments last year was in Davao del Norte. The bulk of these investments were in transportation, logistics and storage projects.
In Davao City, DTI-Davao Officer-in-Charge Maria Belenda Q. Ambi said BOI-facilitated investments amounted to P3.186 billion, while the remaining P864.12 million worth of investments was in Davao del Sur.
However, she said there were no investments generated in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley during the period.
Among the other areas where investments were poured in are real estate, electricity, gas, coal and air conditioning supply, manufacturing, agriculture, and administrative and support service facilities.
Meanwhile, Ambi said an amount of P17.3 billion investment leads has also been reported. These investment leads are into the production of virgin coconut oil (VCO), coco water and flour, poultry, banana, real estate, coconut, oil palm, wood, information and communications technology (ICT), transportation, oil and gas, cocoa, packaging plastics, and tourism site development.
She said the agency is continuously advocating among local government units (LGUs) the adoption of the Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS) streamlining program in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The implementation of BPLS reforms is in consonance with Republic Act 9485 or “An Act to Improve Efficiency in Delivery of Government Service to the Public by Reducing Bureaucratic Red Tape, Preventing Graft and Corruption and Providing Penalties Therefore”. This is a partnership between DTI and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). This took effect in 2010.
“The LGUs’ responsiveness to adopt the program and active cooperation in BPLS-related seminars and activities are definitely crucial for the success of this program. And we are glad that the LGUs have really been responsive,” she said.
To date, Ambi added that 48 out of the 49 LGUs (municipalities and cities) in the region have already adopted BPLS. (PNA)