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The Mindanao Development Authority is pushing for the revival of transport links across the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area to help drive Mindanao’s economic growth
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Priority initiatives include reviving direct flights, expanding sea routes, enhancing transport corridors, and strengthening digital infrastructure
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MinDA chair Leo Tereso Magno says connectivity is “the next frontier” now that peace is stable in the region
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MinDA’s efforts aim to boost trade, investment, and tourism across the sub-region
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Malaysia and Indonesia expressed support for restoring Davao-Kota Kinabalu and Davao-Manado flights to boost regional trade and tourism
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MinDA reaffirmed alignment with BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 and its transition to Vision 2035, with multimodal connectivity as a core pillar
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The agency is also coordinating with local government units and national agencies to fast-track infrastructure projects
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is accelerating efforts to restore direct air links, expand maritime routes, and strengthen transport corridors across the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), citing connectivity as the driver of Mindanao’s next phase of economic expansion.
MinDA chair Leo Tereso Magno said improved mobility is critical now that peace has taken deeper root across the southern islands of the Philippines.
“Connectivity is the next frontier. Direct flights, sea routes, and digital links must accelerate if we want Mindanao’s full economic potential to be realized,” Magno said in a press interview.
He said Mindanao’s recent hosting of weeklong BIMP-EAGA events reflects its growing role as a trading and investment hub, backed by its strategic location and resource-rich landscape.
The Philippines assumed chairmanship of the BIMP-EAGA last week from Malaysia.
MinDA said strengthening transport and digital links are key interventions to support trade, investment, and tourism growth under the BIMP-EAGA framework.
The agency emphasized that sustained partnerships with neighboring economies are essential to long-term development.
Malaysian Consul General in Davao Deddy Faisal expressed support for restoring direct flights between Davao City in Mindanao and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.
“Malaysia supports this because connectivity is the foundation to make interregional trade flourish,” he said.
Indonesian Consul General Agus Trenggono likewise backed the revival of Davao-Manado flights, noting strong pre-pandemic demand.
“We want these links revived because stronger transport connectivity will directly translate to new investment opportunities for both Mindanao and North Sulawesi,” he said.
READ: MinDA, LEASCOR mull revival of Davao-Manado air route
MinDA reaffirmed its alignment with BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 and the transition to Vision 2035, with multimodal connectivity identified as a core priority to facilitate investments and the efficient movement of people and goods.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed agencies to shift Mindanao’s development agenda from peace-building to inclusive growth. This includes accelerating the planned Mindanao Railway Project and securing financing to strengthen the region’s transport backbone, MinDA said.
READ: Marcos extends BIMP-EAGA travel tax exemption to June 2028
MinDA is working with national agencies and local government units to implement these connectivity initiatives, in line with the administration’s broader push for improved ease of doing business and long-term investment readiness.
READ: Bangsamoro government adopts barter trade guidelines within BIMP-EAGA
With the Philippines set to assume Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chairmanship next year, the agency said Mindanao is preparing to welcome transparent and rules-based partnerships across the region.
BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional economic grouping within the ASEAN established in 1994. It includes the entire country of Brunei; the eastern Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Irian Jaya; the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan; and the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Palawan.
