The Philippines will use its Asean Chairmanship to open more doors for development partnerships and accelerate growth in Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said in a radio interview on Monday.
Speaking to Rey Sampang on Bangon, Bayang Mahal aired over Radyo Pilipinas, Magno said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has given clear instructions to maximize the country’s leadership role in Asean to deliver concrete results, particularly for less developed regions.
“This is an opportunity for our country to show that we are open to partnerships. Open tayo sa mga gustong tumulong sa atin (This is an opportunity for our country to show that we are open to partnerships. We are open to those who want to help us),” Magno said. “Kung kailangan natin ng tulong, kailangan nating sabihin. Kung hindi, paano tayo tutulungan ng mga development partners (If we need assistance, we have to say so. Otherwise, how will our development partners know how to help)?”
Magno said the directive will be reflected in the Philippines’ hosting of key regional engagements, including the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East Asean Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga) Leaders Summit, where the country will push for greater support for Barmm.
“Ang instruction ng Presidente, pagdating sa Bimp-Eaga Summit, i-focus natin sa development efforts sa Barmm (The President’s instruction is that for the Bimp-Eaga Summit, we should focus on development efforts in the Barmm),” he said. “Ang kapayapaan sa Barmm ay kapayapaan ng buong Mindanao.”
According to Magno, Bimp-Eaga was established to bridge development gaps in less developed areas through cooperation among member countries and development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Jica, and Koica.
He said data presented during the 2025 Bimp-Eaga Summit in Malaysia showed 217 projects worth about US$67 billion, subregional trade of US$ 166 billion, and tourism arrivals growing by more than 50 percent, or around six million visitors.
Magno added that the Philippines will highlight priority sectors for Barmm, including power sector development, tourism, road connectivity, trade facilitation, and digitalization, noting that more than half of Barmm communities still lack adequate access to electricity. PR