AUSTRALIAN businessmen are seeing potential in expanding their businesses in Davao City as more opportunities open up for them, a senior trade official said.
Elodie Journet, senior trade commissioner of the Embassy of Australia in the Philippines, in an interview with the media during the Australia Global Alumni launch at Bondi and Bourke on Monday evening, said Davao City having a dynamic economy and investing on infrastructure that will support growth are among the major factors that Australian businessmen are looking into Davao City.
"Davao is the third largest city in the Philippines and it continues to grow as well so these are some of the key things we are looking at," Journet said.
A team from the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, lead by Ambassador Amanda Gorely, visited Davao City on Monday for a series of meetings and programs. Among the meetings held here was with the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Inc.
"The reason why we are here is we are trying to gather more information about what opportunities are available her so we can share that with Australia," said Journet.
She said there are a number of sectors where Australia and Davao have "synergies" in like education and training, agribusiness, infrastructure, and resources.
"We feel that all these areas is where Davao has great strengths and where we feel Australia has great capabilities as well," Journet said.
She said they are looking into ways where they can pair up Australian and Davao businessmen to do business together.
Journet said Australian businessmen see lots of potential here in Davao
"There are so much synergies between Australia and Davao, so it is really about how we best educatae both sides to know their capabilities and create platforms for them to collaborate," she said, adding they have sat down with the Mindanao Development Authority to discuss platforms where businessmen in Davao City, including the rest of Mindanao, can meet with Australian businessmen.
At present, there are around 280 Australian companies in the Philippines.