The forum, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City, carries the theme “Forging Partnerships, Shaping Shared Futures.” It will place Davao and Mindanao within a broader regional conversation involving Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Brunei Darussalam, with discussions centered on investment, trade, connectivity, tourism, infrastructure, technology and human capital.
Vice President Duterte is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, “Mindanao and Borneo: One Corridor, One Future,” setting the tone for discussions on how neighboring economic areas can build stronger and more sustained connections.
FROM GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY TO ECONOMIC CONNECTION
Mindanao and Borneo are separated by relatively short maritime distances, yet their economic relationships have significant room for further development.
The Davao-Borneo Growth Corridor (DBGC) brings together a diverse economic space encompassing Mindanao and the major economic areas of Borneo. It connects markets, production capabilities, natural resources, tourism assets, growing cities, businesses and investment opportunities that can complement one another.
The forum is built around the opportunity to move that relationship from geographic proximity toward more deliberate economic connectivity.
For Davao, this means looking beyond its role as a major urban and commercial center in Mindanao and examining how the city can strengthen its links with neighboring markets across Southeast Asia. Maps
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For businesses, stronger connections can create opportunities to reach new markets, develop supply relationships, identify investors and establish cross-border partnerships.
For governments and institutions, the opportunity lies in creating the conditions that allow those relationships to develop and expand.
A REGIONAL MARKET WITH COMPLEMENTARY STRENGTHS
The economic relationship between Mindanao and Borneo is not based simply on proximity.
The areas comprising the DBGC possess different but potentially complementary economic strengths.
Mindanao brings substantial agricultural resources, a large consumer and labor market, tourism assets, established commercial centers and emerging opportunities in manufacturing, services and technology.
Borneo brings established markets and industries across Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, together with significant natural resources, infrastructure investments, tourism assets and growing economic centers.
The forum will examine where these strengths can intersect.
Particular attention will be given to agribusiness and food processing, tourism and the Halal industry, renewable energy, property and urban development, healthcare systems and technology, alongside the infrastructure and human capital needed to support long-term growth.
The objective is to identify areas where regional relationships can move beyond general cooperation toward specific business, investment and institutional opportunities.
BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT CONNECTIONS TAKE CENTER STAGE
A key feature of the forum will be the opportunity for participants to engage directly with potential partners.
Business-to-business and business-to-government meetings are scheduled to begin during the event, allowing participating enterprises, investors and government stakeholders to discuss opportunities, requirements and possible areas of cooperation.
These engagements are intended to complement the forum's plenary discussions by giving participants space to explore practical opportunities in greater detail.
The focus will include potential investments, market connections, supply chains, infrastructure, tourism partnerships, technology cooperation and institutional linkages.
This business-facing component reflects the forum's broader approach: regional economic cooperation is strengthened not only through government-to-government relationships, but also through the businesses, institutions and people that participate in economic activity across borders.
BUILDING THE ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS FOR 2030
The forum will also examine the conditions required for the DBGC to develop sustainably over the coming years.
Infrastructure and connectivity will be considered alongside property and urban development, healthcare systems, technology and human capital.
These are critical components of an increasingly interconnected regional economy.
Competitive businesses require reliable infrastructure and efficient movement of goods and people. Growing cities require integrated urban development and essential services. New industries require skilled workers, technology and supporting institutions.
The forum will therefore consider economic development as an interconnected system rather than as a collection of individual sectors.
CONNECTING WITH THE WIDER ASEAN ECONOMY
The Davao-Borneo Growth Corridor is also situated within the wider framework of Southeast Asian regional cooperation.
Mindanao and Borneo are already part of the broader BIMP-EAGA economic geography, which provides an established platform for cooperation among Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. GeographicReference
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BIMP-EAGA's recently adopted Vision 2035 places emphasis on stronger production networks, sustainable tourism, climate-smart agriculture and fisheries, and a future-ready workforce.
The DBGC Forum complements this broader regional direction by creating a focused platform for stakeholders to explore the specific economic connections between Mindanao and Borneo.
The intention is not to create a parallel regional mechanism, but to encourage practical relationships that can build upon existing regional, national and local cooperation frameworks.
FROM DISCUSSION TO A 2030 ACTION AGENDA
The forum will close with the presentation of the Davao-Borneo Corridor Action Statement 2030, providing a forward-looking framework for areas of common interest and potential cooperation.
The statement is intended to capture the direction emerging from the day's discussions and provide a basis for continued engagement after the forum.
Its broader objective is to encourage stakeholders to translate shared interests into partnerships, investment opportunities, institutional exchanges, knowledge and technology cooperation, market development and other practical initiatives.
In this sense, the forum is designed not simply as a one-day gathering, but as a platform for relationships that can continue developing beyond the event.
DAVAO AS A GATEWAY TO REGIONAL OPPORTUNITY
For Davao City, the forum provides an opportunity to strengthen its position within the wider Southeast Asian economic landscape. GeographicReference
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The city serves as a major commercial and services center for Mindanao and is surrounded by an economy with significant agricultural, tourism, industrial and investment potential.
Its location also provides a natural point from which businesses and institutions can explore stronger connections with neighboring economies across the Borneo region.
The Davao-Borneo Growth Corridor Forum 2026 will bring these possibilities into one space, connecting public and private stakeholders around a shared interest in expanding economic relationships.
With Vice President Sara Z. Duterte delivering the keynote address, the forum will open a broader conversation about what stronger connections between Mindanao and Borneo could mean for investment, enterprise, connectivity and shared economic growth.
From proximity to connectivity. From connectivity to opportunity. From opportunity to shared prosperity.
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