08/04/2014 (Sun.Star) - Five foreign investors have signified their interests to invest in Mindanao after the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed recently.

"With the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, we are able to attract more foreign and local investors especially in Mindanao," said Senen M. Perlada, director of the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in the sidelines of the Philippine Export Development Plan 2014-2016 Consultation Workshop, spearheaded by DTI-EMB and supported by the Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 3, at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on Monday.

He said the five investors are eyeing to invest on the island's agriculture.

"Two are looking into rubber, two into palm oil, and one in pineapple," said Perlada, who is also the executive director of the Export Development Council (EDC).

He said the investors who will be venturing into rubber and palm oil are Asean investors while he refused to give further details about the possible pineapple investor.

"They are still observing and watching closely the situation in Mindanao. They want to get more in depth details about doing business and the situation of the island," Perlada said.

"Investors now are becoming more confident in coming to Mindanao and do business here," he said.

Perladao also said Mindanao has strong potentials in being the country's major export region. He said opportunities in agriculture, aquaculture, and agribusinesses are strong investment areas for exporting.

He said Mindanao also has strong potential in the Halal market because of the island's large Muslim population.