Kota Kinabalu: The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit has been identified as a crucial platform for addressing global challenges, especially amidst the United States’ tariff issues affecting Southeast Asian nations. Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary and Philippine Signing Minister for BIMP-EAGA, Leo Tereso A. Magno, emphasized the summit’s role in fostering cooperation among the four participating countries to tackle these challenges.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Magno highlighted the global implications of the tariffs imposed by the United States, affecting not only the four BIMP-EAGA countries but also impacting other ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste. He stressed the importance of discussing global issues within the context of the ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, providing a platform for the 11 countries to collaborate on shared concerns.
Magno expressed optimism about strengthening ties between the Philippines and Malaysia, particularly in trade, investment, and tourism. He also commended the Malaysian government for hosting the 46th ASEAN Summit in 2025 and acknowledged Malaysia’s efforts in organizing the event. The Philippines is set to assume the chairmanship in 2026.
The BIMP-EAGA initiative focuses on enhancing growth in trade, investment, and tourism through new shipping routes, air links, and power interconnection projects. Key cooperation areas include agribusiness, tourism, the environment, and socio-cultural education. The sub-region encompasses all of Brunei; Indonesia’s Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and West Papua provinces; Malaysia’s Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan; and the Philippines’ Mindanao and Palawan. These regions, while distant from national capitals, are strategically positioned close to each other.
Covering over 60 percent of the BIMP-EAGA countries’ land area, these regions account for 18.8 percent of the total population and 18.4 percent of the labor force. In 2022, BIMP-EAGA’s economy grew by 7.7 percent, with a GDP valued at US$392.1 billion, making up 18.9 percent of the four countries’ combined GDP.
As of October 2023, the number of priority infrastructure projects under BIMP-EAGA had increased significantly to 129, valued at US$38.87 billion, compared to 57 projects in 2017 when the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 was implemented.