In a significant move to bolster regional trade, representatives from the Philippines and Indonesia convened in Davao City to explore the revival of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung (DGB) sea route. The meeting, facilitated by the Indonesian Consulate, aimed at enhancing connectivity within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, through his deputy Romeo Montenegro, voiced strong support for the project, aligning it with the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025’s objectives of improved trade and connectivity. The initiative, rooted in a 2012 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, identified the DGB route as a promising trade corridor. Despite a memorandum of cooperation signed in 2012, the route faced setbacks due to regulatory issues in Indonesia, only seeing its first voyage in 2017. Challenges such as insufficient cargo and limited vessel capacity have since plagued the route’s sustainability. Indonesian Consul General Agus Trenggono stressed the importance of developing concrete strategies to boost cargo volume and attract investments. Magno highlighted the route’s potential to strengthen economic relations between the two nations. Efforts are underway to address these challenges by increasing cargo demand and enhancing vessel operations. The relocation of Indonesia’s capital to Nusantara is seen as a catalyst that could help the DGB corridor realize its full potential.
