COTABATO CITY—The 10-month-old Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is banking on foreign investors to further spur its economy next year, local officials said. For 2019, the Bangsamoro region attracted investments worth P4.1 billion, up by almost 40 percent from the P2.5 billion recorded the previous year under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), records from the Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) showed. In 2019, the region attracted big-ticket investments in Cavendish banana and corn production as well as pineapple and abaca processing plants, according to RBOI data. Lawyer Ishak Mastura, RBOI chair, said the BARMM had been eager to promote the region’s investment potentials. “As a result of [Ebrahim’s] initial talks with potential investors, RBOI is expecting more investments in 2020,” Mastura said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 31, 2019 21:00 UTC