The Philippine Development Plan for 2017-2022 has been drafted and NEDA has in store for these two emerging cities in Mindanao, General Santos and Zamboanga. While Metro Cagayan de Oro and Metro Davao will become two of the four economic centers of the country, these two cities mentioned will become international gateways.
GenSan and Zamboanga had already been envisioned as participants of the greater Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) established on 24 of March 1994 at Davao City. As it can be recalled, the objective behind the creation of BIMP-EAGA is to accelerate economic development in the four countries, increasing trade, tourism and investments which one key sector is transport and shipping. Geographically-speaking, these two cities are close to the aforementioned countries part of BIMP-EAGA.
Last Feb 3, 2016, it was reported that Philippine Ports Authority will upgrade Port of General Santos for about P1.2 billion along with Port of Iloilo. On the other hand, it was reported on May 4 the same year that Port of Zamboanga has a project for mounted gantry crane bid for P489.54 million.
The upgrade of ports will enhance further trade relation between General Santos, Zamboanga, and the countries members of BIMP-EAGA. The Philippine Development Plan for 2017-2022 also correlates with NEDA's plan to make General Santos Airport as the main international gateway of the region.
Read NEDA's draft HERE
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General Santos' Makar Wharf. Photo taken from The Official RDC XII Website. |