MinDA, Governor Oaminal, Lead Qatar Mission for Mindanao Tourism, Investments

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) led a high-level outbound mission to Qatar to promote Mindanao as a premier destination for tourism and global investment, while strengthening bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and the Gulf state.

Misamis Occidental Governor Henry S. Oaminal, who also chairs the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Northern Mindanao, actively championed both his province and the wider Mindanao region in a series of engagements with Qatar-based travel agencies, business leaders, and government institutions.

“We believe that Northern Mindanao is ready to be discovered by foreign tourists, and we are actively working on that belief — here, we are talking to business leaders and the top travel agencies, and at home we are cultivating, developing, and preparing local tourist hotspots and communities for their arrival,” Oaminal said.

He highlighted Misamis Occidental’s natural attractions, rich cultural heritage, and emerging tourism sector, noting Qatar’s large Filipino workforce and its growing interest in Philippine destinations.

The Philippine delegation’s five-day mission included participation in the Qatar Travel Mart 2025, a meeting with the Qatar Investment Authority, exploratory discussions on Sukuk bonds, and a courtesy visit to Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Mardomel Celo D. Melicor on November 24, 2025.

From November 25 to 26, the group continued engagements with major institutions such as Qatari Diar, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Al Mansour Holding, and the Qatar Fund for Development. The delegation also visited Agrico’s Trial and Demonstration Center and an aquaculture facility to explore potential partnerships in agriculture and food security.

The mission was led by MinDA Chairperson Sec. Leo Tereso A. Magno alongside Rep. Jason P. Almonte, Chair of the Committee on Mindanao Affairs; Gov. Oaminal; National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Sheikh Sabuddin N. Abdurahim; Southern Philippines Development Authority Administrator Abdulghani Salapuddin; DOT Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakarin; DOT-Region X Director Marie Elaine S. Unchuan; Misamis Occidental Provincial Tourism Officer Lorellie J. Yee; and representatives from government agencies, MinDA technical units, and the private sector.

“We are highly confident in the potential of Misamis Occidental and the entire region’s tourism prospects, and I am glad to say that those we’ve met have expressed the same,” the governor added.

Earlier this year, the province unveiled the Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and the expanded Aquamarine Park, with its ambitious bid to become the “Maldives of Mindanao.”*