The TUCP Party-List, the largest worker’s sectoral party in the Philippines, lauded the construction of the Philippine Trade Center in Manado, North Sulawesi which is funded by the Indonesian government. The project aims to boost the burgeoning trade between Indonesia and Mindanao.
“The Center is part of the commitments under the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) which was formally launched in 1994. I am happy that more of our products especially those coming from Mindanao can be showcased through the Center in Indonesia. It could mean more sales and revenues for our Mindanao exporters,” said TUCP nominee Anthony B. Sasin.
TUCP urged the private sector in Mindanao to take the opportunity to market their products in Indonesia and called on the Philippine government to support the Center and put it in its priority list.
“For the longest time, we in TUCP are calling for regional integration to accelerate our economic development. That is why we are interested to see the success of the Center in particular and the BIMP-EAGA in general,” Sasin said.
The regional structure was made “to facilitate free movement of people, goods and services; to share common infrastructure and natural resources; and to pursue economic complementation. It was developed to spur economic activity and growth in the region by way of one country channeling investments into another and availment of cheaper resources such as land or labor,” the TUCP said earlier.
“As a concerned citizen of Mindanao, I support the objectives of the Center and the BIMP-EAGA. Through BIMP-EAGA, we expected that foreign direct investments will pour into the country especially in Mindanao that will create businesses and employment opportunities,” Sasin said.
“This however will not mean a race-to-the-bottom in terms of labor and environmental standards, but rather an adherence to decent work and occupational safety improvement,” he said.
The major goal of BIMP-EAGA is to increase trade, tourism and investments in the growth area.
“We are interested in the development of trade and investment that regional cooperation may bring to us because we need new investments for power generation, infrastructure, health care, education, tourism and agri-business in the country particularly in Mindanao,” Sasin said.
TUCP is batting for complete elimination of artificial barriers which hinder the maximum flourishing of trade, investments and other economic activities among Southeast Asian countries.
“We have to tighten our embrace with our own fellow Asians, like the Indonesians and forge stronger, more resilient and more stable economies in our own backyard,” he said.
The TUCP nominee said that government must exert more efforts for the economic development of the Philippines.
“One of the best ways to achieve our goal is to increase our trading and investment activities with fellow Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia. That is why we support BIMP-EAGA,” Sasin said.
BIMP-EAGA also targeted the development of human resources, regional security, social welfare, poverty alleviation; and environmental sustainability in the specified growth area.
TUCP declared that it is all out for the deepening of relationship of the Philippines with its neigbors like Indonesia. It is deeply concerned about the poverty and unemployment problem in the country which victimizes millions of Filipinos including workers and their families.
“We are saddened by the present situation of our nation. This is why we are supporting initiatives that will lead us to economic security favoring alternative routes such as more intensified regional economic integration with our fellow Southeast Asians,” Sasin said.
