DAVAO CITY (PNA) – Leaders of the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines–East ASEAN Growth Areas (BIMP-EAGA) have agreed to bolster the area as potential regional food basket and eco-tourism haven in Asia.

Presidential Adviser Jesus Dureza said the agreement was formulated during the recent 6th BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit in Thailand.

In the said meeting, Dureza said the BIMP-EAGA leaders directed Agriculture Ministers to take the lead in formulating strategies and exploring innovative ways to develop the member countries’ food industry to pump prime its target to become the region’s food basket.

In a statement furnished by Dureza, also the Philippine’s Signing Minister to the BIMP-EAGA, the leaders recognized the importance of community-based ecotourism to the economic development of the sub-regions’ rural areas.

The leaders also directed their Tourism Ministers to extend full support to ecotourism initiative.

They agreed to fully support the various programs being undertaken to protect and conserve the environment and sustainable to manage BIMP-EAGA’s rich natural resources such as the Heart of Borneo and Coral Triangle Initiatives.

They also directed the concerned ministries to strengthen collaborative actions in protecting the environment.

In addressing global efforts to address climate change, Brunei Darussalam offered to host a ministerial conference focusing on the Heart of Borneo and Coral Triangle.

Aside from food security and ecotourism development, the leaders lauded the decision of the Ministers to identify and accelerate the development of critical infrastructure projects to improve connectivity and facilitate trade, investment and tourism within the sub-region.

The Ministers endorsed a three-rolling program process for the identification, processing and review of priority projects such as the following: Indonesia – Tarakan-Serudong Road and Sarawak-Kalimantan Power Interconnection; Malaysia – Sarawak-Kalimantan Power Interconnection (Malaysian Section); Lahad Datu Palm Oil Industrial Cluster; Philippines – Expansion of Mindanao Ports Program 1 and Palawan Ports Development Program. All these projects are for 2010.