Marcos calls for greater political will in BIMP-EAGA

KUALA LUMPUR — President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday urged for a greater political will in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) at the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summit.

The Philippines has affirmed a shared vision towards a prosperous BIMP-EAGA, according to Marcos.

''The path ahead calls for even greater synergy, innovation and political will. I am confident that through our cooperation, we can continue to transform these aspirations that we have held into lasting impacts for our people,'' Marcos said during the BIMP-EAGA Summit.

Launched in 1994, the BIMP-EAGA initiative boosts growth in trade, investments, and tourism through new intra-regional shipping routes and air links, as well as power interconnection projects.

Other key areas of cooperation include agribusiness, tourism, the environment, and socio-cultural education.

The Philippines serves as chairman of this year’s BIMP-EAGA Summit. The last one was held in 2023 in Indonesia.

This was Marcos' second participation in the BIMP-EAGA Summit.

Marcos said the joint initiatives in connectivity, trade and investment facilitation, food and energy security, ecotourism, and green development have advanced significantly, ''reinforcing our commitment to narrowing the development gap in our sub-region.''

In a separate interview with reporters here in Malaysia, Mindanao Development Authority chairman Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said they are prioritizing interconnectivity as well as the transport of goods and people in the region.

''We go around and try to market Mindanao,'' Magno said.

Further, Magno said the Philippines has presented Mindanao, including BARMM, to the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry for future developmental projects.

''They will visit Mindanao in the next three months,'' Magno said.— RSJ/AOL, GMA Integrated News