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Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Australian aid tied to anti-terror drive
AUSTRALIA'S continued support to the Philippines is tied to the latter's ability to patrol its borders and smooth flow of goods and services within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga), an Australian embassy official said Friday.
"Australia's support to the Philippines and Bimp-Eaga is part of a larger counter-terrorism assistance package announced by Australian Prime Minister John Howard during his visit to Manila in 2003," said Rolando Inciong, public awareness manager of the Australian Agency for International Development (Ausaid).
Inciong issued this statement following a meeting between the Philippine government and international donor agencies held in Manila last week.
Inciong said the Australia's aid package is aimed at building the country's capacity to combat terrorism with a particular focus on law enforcement, border control, post security, and regional cooperation.
In return, Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza, also the chair of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), urged concerned government agencies to strengthen its CIQS services in the southern Philippines.
"We must promote and ensure the smooth movement of people and products within our borders and make it easy for traders to do business in a secured and stable environment," Dureza said.
Focus areas in the Philippines are Mindanao and Palawan with special emphasis on natural resource development, transport, infrastructure, information and communication technology, tourism, and small and medium enterprise development, said Dureza.
The other government agencies that attended the September 28 Manila conference were MEDCo, AusAid, Australian Federal Police, Asian Development Bank, GTZ, Philippine Ports Authority, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Animal Industry, Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and the Philippine National Police.
Also in attendance were the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Transportation and Communications, Air Transportation Office, Bureau of Health and International Quarantine, Office of Transport Security, and the Armed Forces' Southern Command. (RBS)
(October 3, 2005 issue)
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