DAVAO CITY — The “Think Global, Grow Local” media roundtable held last July 30, at Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MMCM) brought together academic leaders, students, business stakeholders, and government officials to strengthen the future of Mindanao’s economic development through globally aligned yet locally grounded education.

Anchored by MMCM’s strategic partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), the discussion focused on equipping students with world-class business competencies while addressing Mindanao’s deeply rooted challenges – from poverty among farmers and fisherfolk to limited infrastructure and processing capacity.

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro emphasized the urgency of bridging educational outcomes with industry demands.

“Mindanao has the products, the talent, the potential. But unless we match these with the right infrastructure, innovation, and mindset shift – we will remain a land of promise but not fulfillment,” he said.

Montenegro cited pressing issues such as Mindanao’s lagging electrification rates, high logistics and energy costs, and limited value-adding in agricultural hubs like Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. He stressed the need for AI, renewable energy, packaging innovations, and farmer-centric financing systems to make Mindanao more competitive in global markets.

The roundtable also featured MMCM College of Business faculty Andrea Bianca Gonzalez and student leader Therese Rose Lau, who shared how MMCM-ASU’s curriculum integrates real-world business innovation, sustainability, and research with the realities of Mindanao communities. Their programs include startup incubation, global case studies, faculty exchanges, and exposure to ASEAN and European educational partners through the Sintana Alliance.

“Many of our students come from rural provinces. They want to return home not just with a diploma but with solutions. We equip them to innovate for MSMEs and industries that matter here,” Gonzalez noted.

In response to media concerns about brain drain and Mindanao’s reputation, the panel emphasized MMCM’s emphasis on local startup implementation before graduation and exposure to Mindanao’s economic context through service learning, agri-entrepreneurship, and industry mentorship.

As part of MinDA’s Agenda 3, which focuses on innovation and MSME development, the agency signaled continued support for initiatives like MMCM-ASU’s global-local synergy, saying it plays a vital role in shaping Mindanaoan youth to be “not just job seekers but job creators.”

The event ended with a commitment to deepen collaboration across sectors, expand transnational academic linkages through the Philippine Higher Education Institution Consortium (PHEIC), and pursue more inclusive development strategies beyond urban centers.