General Santos City, known as the "Tuna Capital" of the Philippines, is a dynamic eceonomic hub with strong sectors in fishing, agriculture, and retail. The city recently hosted the "Urban Connect x Local Lab: Building a Future-Ready General Santos City," a key event under USAID's Urban Connect project, which is the fifth stop out of nine cities. It aimed at fostering sustainable urban development. This initiative is part of a nationwide effort to enhance local government competitiveness, promote citizen participation, and support business growth through improved policies and initiatives.

The Lab focused on key areas such as sustainable urban planning, industry innovation, and economic diversification. Discussions centered on strengthening MSMEs, scaling the agro-industry, and exploring new business opportunities. A key theme was the importance of transit-oriented development and green initiatives to build a resilient, future-ready city.

Speakers included Engr. Bernadeth Francisco from the City Planning and Development Office (representing Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao), Dr. Alex Brillantes of USAID, Miguel Dominguez of Alsons Development, Noel Tempongko of Century Pacific Agri Ventures, Allan Marcilla of the City Environment Office, and Dinky Von Einsiedel of CONCEP. Their collective expertise undrescored the need for a collaborative approach in building a sustainable and future-ready General Santos City.