BIMP-EAGA

BRUNEI-INDONESIA-MALAYSIA-PHILIPINES
East ASEAN Growth Area
MULTILATERAL RELATIONS
I. INTRODUCTION

The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN

Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) was formed by the four Governments in March 1994
with the goal of increasing trade, investment, and tourism in the region. BIMP-
EAGA consists of the entire Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; 10 provinces on the
islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Irian Jaya in Indonesia; the states
of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and
Palawan and Mindanao in the Philippines. The sub region covers a land area of
1.6 million square kilometers with an estimated population of 70 million.
Transport is considered to hold the key to the future development of BIMP-
EAGA, particularly in view of the sectors central role in promoting the exchange
of goods and services in the subregion.
It was launched to accelerate economic development in areas that are
geographically distant from their national capitals, yet in strategic proximity to
each other, in one of the world's most resource-rich regions that includes the
Heart of Borneo and Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion. 1

II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The history of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East
ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) begun as a main agenda item in the high
level talks of then President Fidel V. Ramos with his BIM counterpart Heads of
States in 1992. The endorsements and confirmations of then Indonesian
President Suharto (September 1993), Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei
Darussalam (November 1993), and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohammad (February 1994) paved the way for the BIMP-EAGA Inaugural Senior
Officials Meeting and Ministers Meeting (SOM/MM) in Davao City, Philippines on
24-26 March 1994.2
III. GEOGRAPHY
BIMP-EAGA covers a land area of 1.6 million square kilometres and has a
combined population of 57.5 million.
It comprises the following focus areas: the entire sultanate of Brunei
Darussalam; the provinces of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, West
Papua and Papua in Indonesia; the states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the
federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; the island of Mindanao and the province
of Palawan in the Philippines.
The subregion has exceptional natural resources, encompassing two of
the worlds largest rainforests (in Borneo and Papua), and biodiverse marine
systems in the South China Sea, Celebes Sea, and Sulu Sea.
BIMP-EAGA has a long history of participation in the global economy,
stretching back to the silk route and spice trade between Europe, China and
other parts of Asia. EAGA supplies the export markets of ASEAN, North and
South Asia, and the Middle East, following the expansion of its air, shipping and
land transport links, and the development of investment incentives. 3

IV. ITS PROGRAMS

BIMP-EAGA cooperation aims to increase trade, tourism, and investments
by:
Facilitating the free movement of people, goods, and services;
Making the best use of common infrastructure and natural resources; and
Taking the fullest advantage of economic complementation.
The BIMP-EAGA initiative is envisioned to be private sector-led and
market-driven.4
To achieve its development goals, the BIMP-EAGA cooperation is
anchored on four strategic pillars:
Enhanced Connectivity
The Connectivity Pillar included identification of critical
infrastructure needed to complete missing links within the two BIMP-
EAGA priority economic corridors, WBEC and GSSC. The list of Priority
Infrastructure Projects (PIPs) developed in 2009 is part of the BIMP-EAGA
member countries commitment to upscale infrastructure development
efforts.

Food Basket
This pillar aims to facilitate cross-border movement of goods,
services, and people by ensuring all the necessary physical infrastructure
and software development are in place, to achieve land, sea, and air
connectivity within the sub-region.
This strategy was conceived to sustainably utilize the natural
richness and biodiversity of BIMP-EAGAs resources to contribute in
narrowing the development gap, alleviating the poverty, and promoting
food security in the sub-region.
 Tourism
Prioritizes community-based ecotourism (CBET) in order to fully
showcase and conserve the natural and cultural resources of the sub-
region, while also helping develop the lagging communities of the member
countries.

Environment
Taking off from the member countries commitment to sustainable
development, this pillar ensures an integrated protection and management
of the sub-regions natural resources and biodiversity, by focusing on
environment-friendly programs and initiatives.5

CURRENT LEADERS

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah President Joko Widodo

Brunei Darussalam Indonesia

Prime Minister Najib Razak President Rodrigo Duterte

Malaysia Philippines
 REFERENCES

1
https://aric.adb.org/initiative/brunei-darussalam-indonesia-malaysia-
philippines-east-asean-growth-area
2
https://www.adb.org/countries/subregional-programs/bimp-eaga
3
http://www.minda.gov.ph/bimp-eaga
4
http://www.mofat.gov.bn/Pages/Brunei-Darussalam---Indonesia---
Malaysia---The-----Philippines-East-ASEAN-Growth-Area---(BIMP-EAGA).aspx
5
http://ncca.gov.ph/bimp-eaga-five-strategic-pillars/