Members of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) have all agreed to cooperate in lieu of the adoption of the Vision 2035 (BEV 2035) that will serve as a strategic roadmap for the next decade.
“The leaders of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines reaffirmed their strong commitment to advancing BIM-EAGA as a dynamic platform for sub-regional cooperation. The four leaders acknowledged, with appreciation, the significant achievements under the BEV 2035. The leaders agree that BEV 2035 shall pursue four strategic outcomes, including climate, smart-agro industry and fisheries; seamless travel and sustainable tourism; a network of production hubs that strengthen competitiveness, and an agile and future-ready workforce,” said Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson, Secretary Leo Tereso Magno.
Magno gave updates on the BIMP-EAGA meeting that happened on Thursday between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Further, Sec. Magno announced that the BIMP-EAGA priority infrastructure projects improved to 265 from only 57 in 2015.
He said President Marcos also urged the three leaders, and the other ASEAN leaders as well, to emulate the Philippines in utilizing a private-public-partnership (PPP) and involving the private sector and international partners to bring in developments in the underserved areas.
The benefits of PPPs to the Philippines in fast-tracking the implementation of high-impact priority projects, citing ongoing efforts MinDA to facilitate PPPs in Mindanao, a focus area of the BIMP-EAGA.
One of the identified priority Philippine-EAGA Projects includes the Laguindingan Airport Development and the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection grid.
As to the adoption of the roadmap during the Special BIMP-EAGA Summit led by Marcos in Cebu, proponents said it will be guided by the vision of a Socially Inclusive, Open, Aligned and Resilient (SOAR) BIMP-EAGA for Shared Economic Prosperity and Sustainability.
“This is to make sure that underserved areas within the four countries, particularly the whole of the Sultanate of Brunei, and for the Philippines, Mindanao and Palawan, areas in Indonesia, and in Malaysia,” Magno said.
Under Vision 2035, a 10-year framework aligned with ASEAN Vision 2045, BIMP-EAGA will scale up growth, focusing on connectivity, food and energy security, digital transformation, and sustainability.
BIMP-EAGA is positioned as a dynamic single production base, integrating economies into regional and global value chains.
The Philippines reaffirms its strong commitment to advancing BIMP-EAGA as a platform for inclusive growth, resilience, and regional stability.
BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional economic cooperation initiative established in 1994, designed as a building block for ASEAN integration.
It aims to accelerate socioeconomic development, narrow regional disparities, and boost trade, tourism, and investment in less-developed, geographically remote areas.