WITH the flow of goods and services within the Asean zooming past the $2.5-trillion mark, transport leaders in Southeast Asia are now in Manila to craft more ways on how to continue this upward trend to be more competitive and cohesive as an economic bloc.
Transportation Undersecretary Rene K. Limcaoco said the sector plays a crucial role in maintaining this growth trajectory that the economic giant is currently enjoying.
“Integration entails efficient, sustainable and highly effective transportation systems that will facilitate the movement of people, goods and services within and across the region,” he said. “The transport sector plays a critical role in this endeavor.”
Currently, Asean transport leaders are in Manila to discuss the various initiatives and policy measures essential to develop and strengthen transportation infrastructure and linkages that will further enhance the
region’s connectivity.
The Asean transport sector will also embark on new projects and programs, as it adopts the Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan 2016-2025, the successor document that outlines 30 specific goals, 78 actions and 221 milestones in the five areas of transportation, namely, air, land, maritime, transport facilitation and sustainable transport, to guide the Asean economic integration from 2016 to 2025.
Transportation Assistant Secretary for Planning Sherielysse R. Bonifacio said so far, the transport officials have agreed to engage in air-services talks with the United States, South Korea, Japan and China.
“And for the first time this year, Russia has been recognized as a dialogue partner,” she said. “With the additional bilateral agreements, the Philippines can get more traffic rights in these countries.”
Bonifacio also noted the full ratification of the Asean open-skies agreements on April 15. The open-skies agreements consist of a set of multilateral agreements on liberalization of air freight and passengers services.
She emphasized that under these agreements, there will be greater regional and domestic air-transport connectivity with multiplier effect to the economy of the member-states.
“Increased connectivity has a multiplier effect. It will result to more impressive growth in the aviation industry, the tourism sector, as well as in other businesses. Thus, the full ratification of the Asean open skies is a victory not only for us in the Asean transportation sector but for the whole Asean. Its full impact will resonate and will eventually be felt across the region, benefiting the economies of the member-states,”
Bonifacio said.
The Philippines will chair the 42nd Senior Transport Officials Meeting and the 22nd Asean Transport Ministers Meeting during the last quarter of the year.