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The Philippines will chair the Transport Cluster and Air Linkages Working Group of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines–East ASEAN Growth Area for 2022-2025
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DOTr OIC planning service director Felicisimo C. Pangilinan Jr. accepted the role for the country at the 9th BIMP-EAGA Transport Cluster Meeting on September 1-2 in Jakarta
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Transport officials from the four countries discussed various strategies and support measures in establishing, reviving and sustaining intermodal connectivity in the EAGA focus areas
The Philippines will chair the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines–East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Transport Cluster and Air Linkages Working Group for 2022-2025.
Head of the Philippine delegation, Department of Transportation (DOTr) officer-in-charge director for planning service Felicisimo C. Pangilinan Jr., accepted the role as chairperson at the 9th BIMP-EAGA Transport Cluster Meeting on September 1-2 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In his acceptance remarks, Pangilinan highlighted the uniqueness of the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional cooperation. He noted that the proximity of the member countries to each other, beyond their formal government association, made them comparable to neighbors in a community interconnected by cross-border trade and people-to-people exchanges.
The Transport Cluster comprises three working groups: Air Linkages Working Group, Land Transport Working Group, and Sea Linkages Working Group.
Transport is one of the sectors under the Connectivity Pillar of the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025, which provides a way forward for members to continue narrowing development gaps, sustainably managing natural resources, and promoting stronger connectivity.
DOTr noted that BIMP-EAGA, together with its regional development advisor, the Asian Development Bank, is conducting a mid-term review of the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025.
Transport officials from the four neighbor-countries discussed discussed various strategies and support measures in establishing, reviving and sustaining inter-modal connectivity among the EAGA focus areas.
Among those discussed were the revival of BIMP-EAGA air routes and streamlining of maritime policies and standards for nonconventional-sized ships that will support the sub-region’s initiative on barter trade.
BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional economic cooperation designed to narrow the development gap in select focus areas of the participating governments. In the Philippines, the focus areas include Palawan and Mindanao.
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