According to Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the 265 projects are more than four times the 57 priority infrastructure projects identified in 2015 under Vision 2025, which served as the baseline framework for the four-nation cooperation initiative.
Magno told reporters during a news briefing at the International Media Center in Lapu-Lapu City that the projects were outlined during the BIMP-EAGA Summit on May 7, held on the sidelines of the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
The summit, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., marked the official adoption and launch of the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2035, which will guide the bloc’s direction over the next 10 years.
A major theme of the summit was ensuring that development would be felt in the daily lives of people, particularly in underserved areas of Mindanao and Palawan, as well as parts of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Four outcomes
Magno said the four leaders of the BIMP-EAGA agreed to pursue four strategic outcomes to translate the vision into concrete action.
One focuses on climate-smart agro-industry and fisheries aimed at promoting sustainable food production. Another centers on seamless travel and sustainable tourism to enhance connectivity and support eco-friendly travel destinations.
The roadmap also seeks to establish a network of production hubs that would strengthen regional competitiveness and integrate the sub-region into global value chains.
The fourth strategic outcome involves building an agile and future-ready workforce to develop human resources capable of meeting the demands of a modern economy.
PPP push
President Marcos urged BIMP-EAGA leaders to strengthen public-private partnerships (PPPs) across the sub-region following the adoption of Vision 2035.
“The President reiterated the importance of PPPs and cited some of the accomplishments of our country. He encouraged the member-countries to utilize the Public-Private Partnership model to bring development to underserved areas,” Magno said.
Marcos underscored the benefits of PPPs in fast-tracking high-impact priority projects, citing ongoing efforts by MinDA to facilitate PPP initiatives in Mindanao, one of the key focus areas of BIMP-EAGA.
Among the identified Philippine priority projects are the Laguindingan Airport Development and the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Grid.
Asked about projects that would directly benefit Palawan and Mindanao, Magno cited an existing partnership involving a Brunei-based company and Palawan. He said the initiative, endorsed by the Brunei government, is currently being implemented with a private firm.
Regional roadmap
Under Vision 2035, BIMP-EAGA will pursue a 10-year framework aligned with ASEAN Vision 2045 and guided by the goal of creating a “Socially Inclusive, Open, Aligned and Resilient (SOAR) BIMP-EAGA for Shared Economic Prosperity and Sustainability.”
The framework aims to scale up growth by focusing on connectivity, food and energy security, digital transformation, and sustainability.
Established in 1994, BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional economic cooperation initiative aimed at accelerating socioeconomic development, reducing regional disparities, and boosting trade, tourism, and investments in geographically remote and less-developed areas.---Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
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