Business Talks in Sultan Kudarat

Created as a separate province along with Maguindanao and North Cotabato in November 22, 1973 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 341 , Sultan Kudarat (SK) was once a part of the former empire province of Cotabato. Tacurong City is the center of trade and commerce while the capital town and government center is in Isulan. It is a bustling province with a population of over 500,000 growing at 3.4% annually. The Province is strategically located in the BIMP-EAGA region and the coastal areas and towns are directly facing Australia and the three major ASEAN growth partners (Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei), making it a potential backdoor of the Philippines to these countries.
Untapped deposit of copper, iron, ore ,silver, gold and semi-precious stones, including guano deposits in the mountainous areas of Bagumbayan, Columbio and Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Kalamansig,Lebak and Esperanza. . However, as of this date, only one concessionaire has applied for guano permit in commercial quantity. Non-Metallic minerals such as marble, sand, gravel, limestone and boulders are tapped for commercial production.
Forestland covers 50% of the province total land area. Fifty-five species of commercial trees including G-melina, apitong, dao, guijo, kalantas, lawaan, molave, manggachapui,yakal and narra abound in different parts of the province.
There is sufficient water resources for irrigation, hydropower and inland fishing coming from 16 big rivers, 23 large creeks, 11 major springs and waterfalls and 2 lakes and several marshes.
Basically and primarily an agricultural province, we can see that SK is endowed with rich and vast agricultural potentials and advantages. It grows and could produce relatively all kinds of agricultural commodities with comparatively higher level of productivity, making it not only self-sufficient, but a leading producer and supplier of agricultural products in the region. It is one of the major producers of rice and corn in the country and is well-known for palm oil. The NFA-SPGC Grains Complex is the largest grain complex in Southeast Asia KENRAM Phils., a palm oil processing/extraction plant is one of the more significant landmarks of the province
SK’s vast fishing grounds and inland bodies of water are overflowing with various aquatic products considered ready sources of food and livelihood for its people. There are two (2) seaports and four (4) fish landing ports to support this business activity.
The level of business activity in a certain place is usually reflected in the number of banks operating in the area and so I was surprised to know that the province have ten(10) rural banks and twenty (20) commercial banks and three (3) shopping centers . Communication facilities is equally impressive with five (5) Telephone Companies, four (4) internet providers and twelve (12) internet cafes and eleven (11) satellite towers , four (4) FM radio stations and one (1) TV Station.
Literacy rate is high at 88% and this must be due to the adequate presence of state colleges and private universities.
There is, an on-going construction of the commercial airport at President Quirino but it was temporarily stopped. Horizontal improvement which included the construction of the runway and terminal building in the total amount of PhP 4,047,498.50 were already implemented.
Launches and other motorized bancas are used in ferrying commuters and goods from the coastal towns of Lebak and Kalamansig to Cotabato City and vise-versa, and from Palimbang to Kiamba in South Cotabato. Lately, a water jet (fast craft) started plying between Kalamansig and Cotabato City, which shortens travel hours from eight to three hours.
The province is now one of the most progressive agri-industrialized area in the SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Saranggani,Gen.Santos) region thru the full development of its agriculture, fishery and forestry potentials and sustainable utilization of its mineral resources and the formation of productive, viable and self-reliant communities thru the development of its human resources .
2ND SOCCSKSARGEN AREA BUSINESS CONFERENCE
In a bid to boost the business potentials of Sultan Kudarat and to attract investments, the province is set to host the 2nd SOCCSKSARGEN Area Business Celebration which serves as the highlight of the 1st Business Week Celebration on April 16-21, 2007. The whole week celebration will feature various activities that includes financial forum, jobs fair, trade exhibits, business matching and other activities that will showcase the trade and investment potentials of the SOCCSKSARGEN region.

Jointly hosted by the Sultan Kudarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (SKCCIFI) and the Isulan Sultan Kudarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ISKCCI), the Conference, to be held on April 19-21, carries the theme “Seizing Regional and Global Opportunities: Enhancing Agribusiness Competitiveness.” The two-day event will gather members of the business community from the region and the neighboring regions, including the different national government offices and local government units to discuss economic issues and advocacies that will help make the region globally competitive.

Key government officials and business leaders have been invited to speak and present topics and issues on how the region can seize opportunities and be a major player in the economic map of Mindanao.

The conference will have six plenary sessions which will tackle the following topics: National Policies on Enhancing Agribusiness Competitiveness: Challenges and Opportunities; Overseas Development Assistance: Focus on Mindanao Competitiveness; Halal; Accessing Global Markets; Biz Buzz Opportunities: What’s New?; and Economic Platform of Political Parties: Glimpse of Philippine Future Competitiveness. There will also be breakout sessions on business opportunities in agribusiness focusing on livestock and poultry, aquamarine products and high value crops.