The BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) has identified 265 infrastructure projects worth USD174.6 billion for implementation through public-private partnerships (PPPs), as leaders moved to accelerate development in one of ASEAN’s most underserved sub-region.
Under the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2035 (BEV2035), the sub-regional grouping aims to raise GDP per capita to USD7,650 and contribute 12 percent to the overall ASEAN economy by 2035.
Secretary Leo Tereso Magno of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said during a press briefing on Friday, following the conclusion of the Special BIMP-EAGA Summit in Cebu on Thursday attended by leaders of the four member countries, that the number of priority infrastructure projects has steadily increased over the years.
Magno said there were only 57 priority infrastructure projects when the vision was launched in 2015. The number grew to 217 in 2025 and further increased to 265 in 2026.
During the summit, Magno said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on BIMP-EAGA leaders to strengthen PPP initiatives across the sub-region following the adoption of BEV2035, which will serve as the strategic roadmap for the next decade.
Originally, BIMP-EAGA projects in Mindanao were funded through official development assistance (ODA) from partner countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China. The Korea Cooperation Fund has assisted 37 projects across the sub-region.
The European Union has likewise expressed interest in supporting the sub-regional grouping through these projects.
According to Secretary Magno, President Marcos acknowledged the European Union’s interest in scaling up partnerships and helping bring transformative change to areas that require further development.
The President underscored the benefits of PPP schemes in fast-tracking the implementation of high-impact priority projects, citing MinDA’s ongoing efforts to facilitate PPP initiatives in Mindanao, a key focus area of BIMP-EAGA.
Among the identified priority Philippine-EAGA projects are the Laguindingan Airport Development and the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Grid.
In the Joint Leaders’ Statement read by Secretary Magno, he four leaders approved the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2035 as the framework to advance development in underserved areas within the four member countries.
The initiative would be guided by the vision of a “Socially Inclusive, Open, Aligned and Resilient (SOAR) BIMP-EAGA for Shared Economic Prosperity and Sustainability.”
The 10-year framework, aligned with the ASEAN Vision 2045, aims to scale up growth by focusing on connectivity, food and energy security, digital transformation, and sustainability.
BEV2035 will pursue four strategic outcomes: climate-smart agri-industry and fisheries; seamless travel and sustainable tourism; a network of production hubs that strengthens competitiveness; and an agile, future-ready workforce.
The leaders also set new targets for 2035, including increasing the grouping’s GDP to a nominal value of USD720 billion, raising GDP per capita to USD7,650, expanding trade in goods beyond USD1.1 trillion within the sub-region, increasing foreign and domestic investment inflows to USD300 billion, and boosting tourist receipts and expenditures by 100 percent.
“We target the BIMP-EAGA’s contribution to be at least, hopefully, 12 percent of the total ASEAN economy,” Secretary Magno said.
