CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Ministers of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines–East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) have adopted environment management as their strategic pillar of cooperation, following strong representation of the Aquino government.

“The Philippines successfully pushed for the inclusion of environment as a new strategic pillar in addition to the three major pillars of the sub-region,” Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino proudly announced Wednesday.

Antonino, who also serves as the Philippines Signing Minister for the BIMP-EAGA, said the environment pillar will significantly lay the foundation for food security and ecological integrity in the sub-region.

The Working Group on Forestry and Environment has already crafted a list of possible projects under this strategic pillar.

The other three strategic pillars of BIMP-EAGA are food basket/food security, ecotourism, and enhancing connectivity, she said.

“We have already proposed to the group a carbon sequestration mechanism through massive tree planting in BIMP-EAGA areas,” said Region-11 office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-11) Chief Planner Naomi So, a member of the Working Group.

An exploratory study on establishing a carbon trading bank for BIMP-EAGA countries was also proposed to be led by DENR in partnership with MinDA, it was learned.

Other proposed projects include setting up a coordinating link between the major environment working groups in the BIMP-EAGA, such as the Heart of Borneo, Coral Triangle Initiative, and the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.

Brunei Darussalam will also lead an integrated coastal resources management and development training workshop, the MinDA head said.

“We are advancing the country’s environmental priority programs and projects for Mindanao through our watershed management program or the MindaNOW (Nurturing our Waters), which we intend to expand across the sub-region,” Antonino said.

MindaNOW is MinDA’s flagship environmental undertaking that pushes for the adoption of river basin and watershed as key platforms for planning.

It seeks to provide an enabling mechanism for achieving environmental integrity and sustainable economic development.

Meanwhile, the Philippines will host the first BIMP-EAGA Equator Asia Air Access Forum and Airline Chief Executive officers (CEO) Summit with Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Science and Technology (DoTC), and MinDA as lead agencies this first quarter to gather top transport and tourism officials from the sub-region to look at the market potentials of each identified travel points, Antonino said.

The Philippines identified the cities of Davao, Zamboanga, and Puerto Princesa as priority travel points for air services, while the Zamboanga-Muara (Brunei), Brooke’s Point-Labuan (Malaysia)-Muara, and Davao/GenSan-Bitung were identified for the sea linkages.