The Philippines has assumed chairmanship of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) in time for the initial implementation of the region’s vision for 2017-2025.
On behalf of the Philippines, Senior Official to the BIMP-EAGA Arturo Boncato, Jr. recently accepted from Malaysian Senior Official Dato’ Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid the year-long chairmanship of all EAGA-related activities, meetings, and other functions.
Philippine chairmanship of the sub-region coincides with the country’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) in 2017, which is also the 50th founding anniversary of the 10-member regional bloc.
“I hope the Philippines will look into the progress with our partners and continue the good relationship that we have managed to establish,” Abdul Majid said.
He added that during Malaysia’s term, the draft of the BIMP-EAGA Vision (BEV) 2025 document had been completed and is set for formal presentation to EAGA senior officials.
The BEV 2025 succeeds the BIMP-EAGA Implementation Blueprint 2012-2016. The new document aims to shape EAGA’s future as a more relevant and fully integrated sub-grouping to the ASEAN Economic Community, while also supporting and complementing the ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together Roadmap.
“It is the best roadmap so far in the history of EAGA and it is a privilege for the Philippines to take the lead in pursuing the sub-region’s goals in line with the theme to develop a Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable and Economically Competitive (RISE) BIMP-EAGA by 2025,” said Boncato.
Boncato, who is an assistant secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, added that one of the strengths of this new EAGA framework is that it anchors its goals on the sub-region’s baseline data.
“It is a challenge and opportunity for the Philippines to take this chairmanship during the pilot year of the implementation of the BEV 2025,” he added.
The BIMP-EAGA was organized in 1994 as a sub-regional cooperation intended to spur development in the lagging sub-economies of the member countries by enhancing trade, tourism, and investments. Mindanao and Palawan are the two focus areas of the Philippines in the sub-regional grouping.
A project being eyed to promote connectivity within the region is the Davao-General Santos-Bitung Roll-On Roll-Off shipping service, expected to be launched next year. The new route is seen to strengthen sea trading within EAGA, part of the strategy to develop a virtual economic bridge for the sub-region’s traders.
