The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. visited President Jokowi at the Bogor Presidential Palace on September 5, 2022. This was his first state visit after being sworn in. The two leaders discussed the two countries’ active and multi-faceted cooperation on defense, maritime, border, economic, and people-to-people cooperation. They also exchanged views on major issues affecting the region and the world.
According to a release from the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, during the state visit, the two Presidents will witness the signing of several key agreements in the areas of defense and culture, as well as a comprehensive Plan of Action (PoA) that will chart the countries’ bilateral priorities over the next five years.
There are four cooperation agreements that have been agreed between Indonesia and the Philippines:
1. Plan of Action (PoA) between the Indonesian and Philippine governments from 2022-2027
This is a strategic document that becomes a reference for efforts to increase bilateral cooperation between the two countries. This Plan of Action (PoA) covers various concrete strategic activities in the fields of politics, law, security, economy, culture, tourism, consular affairs, protection, and mutual support for candidacy in international institutions.
2. Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security
This is a renewal of the Philippines and Indonesia defense cooperation agreement signed in 1997. The areas of cooperation include joint exercises and operations, human resource development, defense technology development, and logistical cooperation to achieve security in the two countries' territories.
3. MoU on Cultural Cooperation
This cooperation aims to develop the culture of both countries which includes participation in arts festivals (films, music, book fairs, etc.), translation of literary works, prevention of illegal trade in cultural objects, and other agreed collaborations.
4. MoU for Cooperation in the Development and Promotion of the Creative Economy
This cooperation facilitates the Development and Promotion of the Creative Industries of the two countries covering creative services, audio-visual, art, books, media, and other agreed forms. They will form the Indonesia–Philippines Joint Task Force to monitor and evaluate its implementation.
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs of The Philippines, Liputan6.com
