In a significant move to bolster regional trade, representatives from the Philippines and Indonesia convened in Davao City to discuss the potential revival of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung (DGB) sea route. The meeting, facilitated by the Indonesian Consulate, aimed at enhancing maritime connectivity and trade within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, represented by Deputy Executive Director Romeo Montenegro, highlighted the initiative’s alignment with the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025, which focuses on improving connectivity and trade. The DGB route, identified in a 2012 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency as a cost-effective corridor, saw its first voyage in 2017 after a memorandum of cooperation was signed in 2012. However, challenges such as low cargo volumes and regulatory issues in Indonesia have impacted its progress. Indonesian Consul General Agus Trenggono stressed the importance of developing actionable strategies to increase cargo volume and attract investments. With Indonesia’s planned capital relocation to Nusantara, there is renewed hope that the DGB route can significantly enhance economic ties between the two nations.
