President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pushed for deeper regional cooperation and people-centered development as he led the Special Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit.

Meeting with Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Marcos said regional cooperation should produce visible and lasting benefits for ordinary communities, not just economic targets on paper.

“This vision is not merely a roadmap for economic integration, it is a promise to our people that development will be meaningful, sustainable and felt in their daily lives,” Marcos said in his opening statement.

The President said ongoing programs and projects under the BIMP-EAGA framework continue to create livelihoods, improve connectivity and expand opportunities, particularly in growth areas across member economies.

“These successes remind us that regional cooperation delivers its greatest value when it uplifts local communities,” he added.

Marcos called on leaders to sustain cooperation and translate regional plans into long-term impact for future generations.

Established in 1994, BIMP-EAGA is a subregional cooperation initiative aimed at accelerating economic development in less-developed and geographically remote areas of the four member countries through enhanced connectivity, trade, investment, tourism and infrastructure cooperation.

The summit forms part of the Philippines’ hosting of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. (PNA)