PH, Asean, ADB set new Bimp-Eaga Action Plan

The Philippines, Asean Secretariat, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have committed to craft a dedicated Bimp-Eaga–Asean Plan of Action (POA) and launch pilot cooperation in transport and tourism following the inaugural bilateral meeting between Bimp-Eaga and Asean senior officials held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, in Samal Island.

As part of broader cooperation efforts with ADB, MinDA Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso Magno also met on the sidelines with senior ADB officials—vice president Scott Morris, Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit head Alfredo Perdigero, and Philippines deputy country director Declan Magee—to discuss opportunities to further strengthen Mindanao’s development agenda, particularly in the blue economy, sustained support for Barmm, and wider growth initiatives across the island.

The gathering marked the establishment of the first formal mechanism linking Bimp-Eaga’s subregional programs with Asean’s broader regional strategies—an institutional bridge long seen as essential to strengthening policy coherence and accelerating local-level implementation.

Under the new Plan of Action, Bimp-Eaga and Asean will pilot transport and tourism cooperation while aligning priorities in connectivity, energy transition, sustainable urbanization, and tourism development with Asean Vision 2045.

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Undersecretary Janet M. Lopoz, who chaired the meeting, underscored the need to turn commitments into concrete outcomes. “Today’s gathering represents a significant step forward in strengthening our partnership and connective tissue between Asean’s regional vision and Bimp-Eaga’s subregional implementation,” she said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has prioritized revitalizing the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East Asean Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga) as a centerpiece strategy for inclusive growth and regional integration. His administration views the subregion as a practical mechanism to translate Asean’s aspirations into local impact, especially in Mindanao and other frontier areas. At the 16th Bimp-Eaga Summit, Marcos called for “greater synergy, innovation, and political will” to sustain momentum and deliver tangible benefits across member economies.

Aligned with this direction, the Marcos administration is working to ensure consistency between Bimp-Eaga Vision 2035 and Asean Vision 2045, particularly in transport, tourism, energy, and sustainable urbanization. Through MinDA, the Philippines is taking a leading role in preparing the subregion’s next Joint Plan of Action and hosting high-level meetings that reinforce the Philippines’ commitment to a stronger Asean–Bimp-Eaga linkage.

To support these priorities, Marcos is pushing for better integration of subregional initiatives into the Asean Economic Community framework and expanded access to Asean financing mechanisms for Bimp-Eaga projects—efforts aimed at fostering inclusive, sustainable, and regionally coherent development that positions Mindanao as a central Southeast Asian growth hub.

ADB Senior Economist Jason Rush welcomed the launch of the joint planning process. “It’s really nice to see this tighter cooperation between Asean and Bimp-Eaga taking place. The new Joint Plan of Action dovetails very nicely with the Asean Community Vision 2045,” he said.

Support for a consolidated approach was echoed across the subregion. Hon. Mohammad Harris Ibrahim, deputy permanent secretary (Trade and Industry) at Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Finance and Economy, called it “an important step towards enhancing regional coherence and maximizing complementarities among Asean subregional frameworks.”

Indonesia’s Assistant Deputy Minister for Regional Economic Cooperation, Hon. Bobby Siagian, emphasized the development of frontier areas. “Subregional frameworks are not peripheral. They are Asean in action at the local level. To connect our peripheries is to connect Asean’s future.”

Malaysia’s Ministry of Economy Deputy Secretary General (Policy) Hon. Datuk Dr. Zunika Binti Mohamed urged deeper alignment. “We would like to hear from the Asean Secretariat their perspective on how they can assist Bimp-Eaga to move forward with our Vision 2035,” she said.

In response, Asean Secretariat Director Dr. Kanchana Wanichkorn affirmed that subregional initiatives will be fully integrated into the new Asean Economic Community framework. “The door is open for all sectors,” she said. “Subregional cooperation is an implementing mechanism of the Asean Economic Community.”

Delegates agreed to convene transport and tourism dialogues ahead of the next Bimp-Eaga Senior Officials Meeting in Brunei and begin drafting the Bimp-Eaga–Asean Plan of Action. They also committed to improving coordination and monitoring mechanisms under the Joint Plan of Action and exploring Asean financing windows for subregional projects. PR