BIMP-EAGA: twenty years of pushing regional development

LYNDON PLANTILLA, PIA-Mimaropa

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (middle) march along with President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III  in Malacanang during his recent state visit.

In 1994, the governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia-Malaysia, Philippines (BIMP) established the BIMP-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) cooperation program to help develop marginalized and far-flung areas and reduce poverty within the sub-region.

Twenty years later, in the advent of an ASEAN Integration, no less than the presidents of the Republics of the Philippines and Indonesia, underscored the continuing relevance of BIMP-EAGA.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, during his state visit in the country Thursday, said BIMP-EAGA has motivated local economies and tourism and thus this cooperation must proceed with more participation from the business community.

For his part, President Benigno Aquino said he has discussed with President Yudhoyono, the importance of pursuing continuing cooperative activities between Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines within the BIMP-EAGA framework.

“This will ultimately redound to more doors of opportunity opening for all our peoples, enabling them to contribute further to the advancement of our nations and our region,” President Aquino said.

The BIMP-EAGA covers the entire Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; nine provinces in Kalimantan and Sulawesi, the island chain of Maluku, and Papua (Indonesia); the Federal States of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan (Malaysia); and the entire island of Mindanao (26 provinces) and the island province of Palawan (Philippines).

These areas have a long history of trading through the traditional barter system.

Among the goals of BIMP-EAGA are to turn the sub-region into the food basket for ASEAN and Asia and position itself as a single regional eco-tourism destination.

Puerto Princesa City of Palawan, along with Lake Cebu (South Cotabato) and Tibolo (Davao Del Sur), is one of the BIMP-EAGA’s pilot sites for community-based eco-tourism.

The cooperation program also looks into improving cross border flow of people and goods---by air, land and sea transports---within the sub-region and into the rest of Asia.

The development of the Puerto Princesa and Brookes Point ports is among the BIMP EAGA Priority Projects that were identified in its Implementation Blue Print (2012-2016).   

BIMP-EAGA is also pushing for a sustainable environmental management for the sub-region’s rich biodiversity and natural resources. (LBR/LP/RTVM/BIMP-EAGA/PIA4B)