By EDD K. USMAN, SDN, Twitter @edd1819, Instagram @bluestar0910, Facebook: SDN — Science, Digital & Current News
MANILA HOTEL, Manila (SDN) — WAR-TORN and still struggling Marawi City is expected to take center stage on Monday, August 19, at the Bangsamoro Global Economic Summit 2019.
The Bangsamoro Federal Business Council, Inc. (BFBCI) headed by Datu Nasrail B. Conding, president, organized the one-day event to call attention, among others, to the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the Philippines’ only Islamic City.
BFBCI President Nasrail B. Conding and his First Lady. (Photo: Facebook page)
Conding has invited President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Interim Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Al-Hajj Murad” Ebrahim as the two main speakers of the summit.
It will also serve notice on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) road to prosperity and peace, which is expected to be heard from keynote address of Ebrahim, the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The BFBCI president also invited foreign and local dignitaries to talk on various topics, among them, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, Edward Ling, president of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (MCC)–Philippines;
Bangladesh Ambassador Asad Alam Siam, Dr. Henry Bon Liong, president, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce (FFCCC), Dean Dr. Hussein S. Lidasan, University of the Philippines School of Urban and Regional Planning (UP SURP), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Secretary/CEO Saidamen B. Pangarungan;
DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman, whose book titled “Global Halal Economy” will be launched at the summit, Dr. Abdul Hannan M. Tago, BFBCI director, engineer Matt Bubong, chairman, TWG BAISC BFBCI, Datu Macapanton Jihad C. Abbas III, BFBCI vice president for Corporate Affairs;
Atallah Muhammad Habib, CEO, Petro Square Lubricants & Grease Trading of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nathaniel Dalumpines, chairman officer-in-charge of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Secretary Abdullah “Dabs” Mamao, presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers, Abdulghani “Gerry” Ajul Salapuddin, administrator and CEO of Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA), and Eduardo del Rosario, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM).
A concept titled “Bandar a Inged” Smart Global City will also be presented, a project of the BFBCI.
Conding said he expects more than 300 delegates to the first Bangsamoro Global Economic Summit.
The BFBCI president said the summit “will put on center stage the massive economic activities that will be generated in the Marawi City rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery master plan.”
Conding added this is expected to “present an enormous opportunity to the private sector for partnership and cooperation with the government,” as he cited an estimate made by a master urban planner that US$8 billion (around Php420 billion) are needed to rebuild the city massively destroyed during the five months long Siege of Marawi/Battle of Marawi that started on May 23.
Focus of the 1st Bangsamoro Global Economic Summit
— The rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City
— What the Philippine government and BARMM government can offer to the Private Sector and Vice-versa.
— Investment Strategies of foreign and local investors for the Bangsamoro.
— Developing industries in the Bangsamoro and Job Creation.
— Establishment of Financial Institutions in the Bangsamoro particularly Shari’ah-compliant financing.
— Development of the Halal industry in the Philippines.
Objectives:
— To discuss options to maximize efforts in rebuilding and reconstruction of Marawi City with Public Private Partnerships;
— To provide a comfortable environment for investors coming from the Middle-East and Muslim Countries; and
— To provide investment opportunities within the Bangsamoro, more particularly in the Halal industry and Shari’ah-compliant banking.
To date, tens of thousands of residents forced to flee their homes and escape the internecine war have yet to return to the Ground Zero.
Over 200,000 residents of Marawi City in particular and the millions of local Muslims in general are also waiting for the vow of President Duterte to materialize.
“Before I end, let me repeat and reiterate my solemn promise to you — a sacred one which I also promised to Allah (God in Arabic). With His blessings, that in my term, and for the next three years, we will all work and truly work for the benefit of the Bangsamoro people.”
The President also ordered the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated Islamic City through the del Rosario-led TFBM, but the M’ranaw people have yet to see any real progress in the rebuilding of Marawi City. (SDN)