COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Local business leaders are upbeat about Cotabato City’s improving investment climate as crime rates continue to fall under Mayor Bruce Matabalao’s administration.

In his State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday, November 4, Matabalao said the city recorded only 21 crime incidents across its barangays in the past 12 months—almost half the figure from the previous year.

“With the cooperation of the police, the military, and local communities, we’ve seen a continuing decline in crimes in the city,” Matabalao said. “The five-minute response policy of the police is functional in Cotabato City.”

Now on his second term, Matabalao chairs the multi-sector Cotabato City Peace and Order Council.

‘Peace dividends’ in the Bangsamoro capital

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) police director Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman credited the drop in criminal incidents to strengthened coordination among Muslim, Christian, and indigenous Teduray communities.

“There were shooting incidents, but most of the victims and perpetrators are outsiders, not residents of the city,” De Guzman said.

De Guzman also acknowledged the support of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and the Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 in maintaining security across Cotabato City’s 37 barangays.

Business confidence rising

Business groups say the improved peace and order situation is drawing renewed investor interest.

“Our contacts outside always check, first and foremost, the security situation,” said lawyer-entrepreneur Ronald Hallid Torres, chair of the Bangsamoro Business Council and president of the BARMM Regional Advisory Group. “We can tell them now that there’s been a dramatic reduction of crimes in Cotabato City in recent months.”

Chinese traders operating hardware stores in the city also noted that extortion threats stopped after the May 2022 elections, coinciding with the increased visibility of security forces in key areas.

Police sources said several known extortionists with links to the Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were reported missing between late 2022 and early 2024.

Expansion plans

The improved security has also sparked plans for business expansion.

Maranao rice trader Saleem Saripada Mansur, who operates in Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Sur, said he is eyeing Cotabato City and nearby Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao del Norte as new trading hubs.

Midsayap Mayor Rolando Sacdalan, a businessman before entering politics, said he will encourage entrepreneurs from his municipality in Cotabato province to invest in Cotabato City.

“Cotabato City is our trading hub. Our people go there to buy supplies that aren’t available locally,” Sacdalan said.

As the Bangsamoro capital continues to strengthen peace and security, both city officials and business leaders say the improvements could mark a turning point—transforming Cotabato City into a stable and attractive investment destination in the heart of Mindanao.

About The Author

John Unson

John Unson is a veteran Filipino journalist who serves as a staff writer for the regions “Central Mindanao and BARMM” at The Philippine Star. He covers news and events in Mindanao — especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the broader Central Mindanao area. His reporting spans a wide range of topics including security incidents, terrorist-related developments, drug enforcement, smuggling operations, social issues, and regional politics.

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