Duterte eyes ‘business islands’ for lease by investors

DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo has vowed to push for the creation of what he described as “business islands” to entice more investors to the country if he becomes President.

Duterte said one way of creating these business islands would be to lease them to possible investors. He said he saw nothing wrong in leasing some of the country’s islands to investors because such a policy would not violate the Philippines’ territorial integrity.

He said the government would still have full jurisdiction over these islands.

“If we can lease our land for military bases, why not lease an island (to investors) to create our own version of Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore?” Duterte asked in a statement, referring to the government’s offer to the United States to use some of the country’s military facilities as bases.

He said by creating these business islands, more Filipinos would have job opportunities.

“The jobs will come here. Going abroad must be a choice, not a necessity,” Duterte added.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate, said they would also push for the creation of more tourism estates in Cebu to boost its image as the “Tourism Gateway for Central and Southern Philippines.”

Cayetano said he and Duterte agreed that the creation of more tourism estates in the region would create better opportunities for the people there.

He cited Mactan as an example, which he said, was “known for its successful industrial ventures and high-class tourism industry.”

Cayetano said the transfer to Cebu of the central office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) should also be expected under a Duterte presidency to “decongest Manila and to spur economic activities and government funding into other parts of the country.”

“This is aligned with Mayor Duterte’s call for federalism. By transferring national government agencies to the regions, we democratically decentralize governance and resources, and ensure regional economic growth. We will make sure our tourism officials understand the full benefits of their work in regional tourism hubs,” he said.  SFM