The Island of Mindanao has more than a third of the landmass of the Philippines and is home to one-fourth of the country's population.
Many indicators suggest that the quality of life in Mindanao is well below the national average.
Sixteen of the country's 20 poorest provinces are in Mindanao. It focuses on development of private enterprise, essential infrastructure, and needed policy changes. GEM works with producers' associations and cooperatives, business support organizations, chambers of commerce, NGOs, local and national government agencies, small and medium scale businesses, financial institutions, donor agencies, and others working to bring about equitably distributed economic growth. This is the area of Mindanao that is home to most of the Muslim community of Mindanao. They are also provided necessary training, technical support, and marketing assistance.