Revisiting the BIMP-EAGA

Enhancing the growth potential of east ASEAN countries’ “weak links”

By Roxanne V. Lu

Created in March 1994 under the initiative of then-Philippine president Fidel Ramos, the primary goal of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area is to strengthen economic cooperation to accelerate growth in Brunei and in the less-developed territories of BIMP-EAGA’s three other member countries. The grouping’s areas of focus include the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; 10 provinces in the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Irian Jaya; Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines.

BIMP-EAGA aims to help these areas follow the growth path of the economic centers in the subregion: Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Metro Manila. The main thrust of the unified efforts is to spur trade, investments, and tourism in these places. Now, more than a decade since its inception, BIMP-EAGA continues to grow and impact the lives and businesses of people in the growth area, although much work still needs to be done before its organizers’ vision is fully realized.

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The Philippines is composed of over 7,000 islands scattered over 3 major island groupings - Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. While the main business centers are in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao, there are many other places with good business potential.

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