Tokyo, Japan — Bohol Governor Arthur C. Yap and other Bohol officials visited Japan on a business mission to attract Japanese investments to the province on 21-23 January 2020. An investment seminar with select Japanese companies kicked off the business mission, co-organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Tokyo, headed by DTI Commercial Counsellor Dita Angara-Mathay, on 21 January 2020. Forty representatives from Japanese companies engaged in the business of construction, waste management and treatment, hotel and tourism, and light industry manufacturing attended the investment briefing with Governor Yap and the Bohol officials.
Governor Yap explained that tourism revenues currently drive Bohol’s economy. The province is world renowned for its beautiful beaches, unique wildlife, and natural geologic features that set it apart from other islands in the Philippines. The Danajon Bank which is one of only six double-barrier reefs in the world, the Chocolate Hills, and the Tarsier which is one of the smallest primates are the main attractions found in Bohol.
With growing awareness and potential for attracting more Japanese tourists and businesses from Japan, Governor Yap is also negotiating for direct flights to Bohol from Japan. In the past 30 years, the province has received more than PhP20-billion worth of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funding for projects such as the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Bohol Circumferential Road, Bohol Irrigation Project, Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project and other agricultural projects. Governor Yap announced that they are holding talks for more JICA projects in the province.
Bohol’s increasing tourist arrivals and growing local economy present opportunities and challenges, according to Governor Yap. He has requested the DTI team at PTIC Tokyo to assist in attracting investors and technology partners in Japan to be involved in projects directly related to sustainable tourism. These include projects on wastewater treatment and sewage and septage treatment, bulk water supply, and power generation. He also explained the viability of investments in retirement and medical facilities, cold storage, tourism and convention facilities, light industry manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries projects and roads and public transportation in Bohol province.
PTIC Tokyo has committed to assisting Bohol in their goal of attracting more Japanese investors.
