Secretary Jesus Dureza, peace process presidential adviser (left), and Bensuadie Lumenda, chair of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Junior Officers for Peace and Development (MJOPDI) center, sign the Memorandum of Understanding forging commitment to support efforts to foundations of peace and development in Mindanao. Witnessing the signing is Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Chavit Singson, who serves as adviser to MJOPDI. (MEDco)

BIMP-EAGA joint meeting on natural resources development set on March 15 in Mindanao

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza has announced the holding of a joint meeting of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia, Malaysia-the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Natural Resources Development (NRD) Cluster and SME Development (SMED) cluster in Mindanao on March 15, 2006.

In a press release, Dureza said a Hand-over Ceremonies of the chairmanship of the private-sector-led BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) from Malaysia to the Philippines will also be held to be attended by officials from BIMP and local government officials from Mindanao and Palawan.

”The BEBC Hand-over Ceremonies during the week-long anniversary celebration of the BIMP-EAGA is truly a well-appreciated development. The ceremonies affirm and take off from what the government has been advocating all along that after setting the mechanisms for making the EAGA concept work, it is the private sector that should lead in creating a favourable trading environment in the growth region," said Dureza, who is also official for BIMP-EAGA.

The week-long celebration also serves as an opportunity for the development partners of Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDco) and the stakeholders of BIMP-EAGA to strengthen their advocacy for peace and development in the island, and in the growth area, according to Dureza.

The BIMP-EAGA was created on March 24, 1994 in order to accelerate trade, tourism and investments in the growth area.

The region has an estimated population of more than 50 million spread out across 1.54 million square kilometers of land area which potentially focus in the areas of tourism, natural resources, SME, transportation, infrastructure and information and communications technology (ICT).

MEDco, the Philippine government's peace and development arm in Mindanao, also serves as the Philippine coordinating office for BIMP-EAGA.

The programmes are part of the week-long celebration of the gains and milestones in Mindanao and the BIMP-EAGA, commencing today in observance of the 14th MEDCo and the 12th BIMP-EAGA anniversary.

The celebration is done in partnerships with the Mindanao Business Council, BIMP-EAGA Business Council and supported by NCCC Mall of Davao, GEM 2 Program, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Embassies and Consular Offices of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, Department of Tourism, Davao City Government, Davao Association of Colleges and Universities Network (DACUN), Our Lady of Victory Training Center and COMFAC. (MEDco)