COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/5 Sep) -- If the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) intends to lure in investors, it should work to develop education, infrastructure and tourism in the area, according to an official of the Makati Business Club (MBC).

MBC executive director Alberto Lim said that while a peace agreement is essential to be able to attract investors, stakeholders in the ARMM should work hard to enhance the three vital support facilities.

Good education, he said, would provide the manpower with the skills needed by the industries.

Infrastructure, on the other hand, would facilitate timely transport of goods from the farms to key trading centers, Lim pointed out.

Tourism’s role, he explained, is a sort of advertisement, with satisfied visitors spreading the potentials of the area to the whole world.

Lim promised that the MBC would help ARMM attract more investors.

For a start, the ARMM Business Council (ABC), which is currently spearheading the 6th ARMM Business Congress, formally affiliated with the MBC here on Tuesday with the forging of a memorandum of understanding.

"It is essential to link with outside groups such as the MBC because investment opportunities of our region can be bridged with their networks," said ABC chairman Datu Haron Bandila.

Lim said his group is composed of over 700 business leaders representing 450 corporations in the country.

"We are aware of what ARMM can offer to investors such as its fertile land, its pool of workers, and the low rates of basic utilities, to name only a few. The region has so much potential indeed, but negative impressions overshadow its attractive qualities," he noted.

Lim urged business and government leaders in the ARMM to focus on the development of tourism, citing the pristine beaches of Tawi-tawi and Sulu.

"Tourism can help in the investment promotion," he pointed out. He noted, too, that in the tourism industry, even people who have limited education can be hired as tourist guides. 

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