EU and EU member state ambassadors made a joint visit to Northern Mindanao from 14 to 16 January, in what the EU Delegation said was their first coordinated trip to the region.
EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro said the EU has invested more than 9.6 billion Philippine pesos (140 million€) in Mindanao since 2020, describing the bloc as one of the area’s largest grant contributors.
The delegation’s Nordic representatives were Denmark’s Ambassador Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Sweden’s Ambassador Anna Ferry and Finland’s Ambassador Saija Nurminen, alongside ambassadors from other EU member states.
During the visit, the ambassadors met Philippine officials including Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Bukidnon Governor Rogelio Neil Roque, Cagayan de Oro Mayor Rolando Uy and Impasug-ong Mayor Jetaime Okinlay-Gumban, as well as representatives from government agencies, NGOs, civil society groups and the press.
The EU Delegation highlighted cooperation in Mindanao through projects including the EU-backed SPADE programme on climate-smart agricultural value chains and the EU GOJUST programme supporting justice coordination, including efforts addressing online child sexual abuse cases in a “Tri-City Justice Zone” covering Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Ozamiz.
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