Philippines-Indonesia Relations, a continuing partnership<\/p>\n
Philippine-Indonesian relations are characterized by a genuine
\nsense of brotherhood borne out of centuries of close and vibrant
\ninteraction as neighbors.<\/p>\n
In precolonial times, trade, commerce and transmigration
\nflourished between our peoples.<\/p>\n
Intermarriages and alliances solidified these cross-cultural
\nand economic links.<\/p>\n
Over the centuries, the movement of peoples, goods and ideas
\nbetween the two archipelagos intensified.<\/p>\n
The deep roots of Philippine-Indonesian relations are evident
\nnot only in the similarity between Filipino, the national
\nlanguage of the Philippines, and Bahasa Indonesia, but more so in
\nshared values.<\/p>\n
Both Filipinos and Indonesians give very high regard to
\nfamily, honor and seniority. Tradition, communitarian values and
\nreligion also play an important role in daily life.<\/p>\n
Official diplomatic relations between the Philippines and
\nIndonesia were established on Nov. 24, 1949.<\/p>\n
The Philippine Consulate in Jakarta, which later became the
\nPhilippine Embassy, opened to the public for business on the same
\ndate at No. 6, Jl. Imam Bonjol.<\/p>\n
A few months later, the Indonesian Government established the
\nIndonesian Embassy in Manila. The Philippines is currently
\nrepresented in Indonesia by His Excellency Leonides T. Caday.
\nIndonesia is represented in the Philippines by His Excellency
\nAmbassador Soeratmin.<\/p>\n
The two countries have signed more than 26 bilateral
\nagreements covering a wide range of areas such as economic and
\ntechnical cooperation, culture, extradition, immigration, border
\ncrossing, border patrol, trade, shipping, defense and security
\ncooperation, and air services.<\/p>\n
Agreements on forestry, tourism cooperation, social security,
\nlabor and manpower development, education and fisheries
\ncooperation are under negotiation.<\/p>\n
In 1993, then Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos and then
\nIndonesian President Soeharto decided to establish the Joint
\nCommission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), a mechanism for the
\nregular review of all aspects of bilateral cooperation.<\/p>\n
The first Philippines-Indonesia JCBC was held in Manila in
\n1995 while the second was held in Jakarta in 1998. The third
\nJCBC is slated in Manila early next year.<\/p>\n
For almost 52 years, the Philippines and Indonesia have
\nsupported each other's interests and national goals.<\/p>\n
The Philippines has consistently expressed its support for
\nIndonesian sovereignty and territorial integrity on secessionist
\nissues.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Indonesia played a crucial role in the
\nconclusion of the peace agreement in 1996 between the Philippine
\nGovernment and the Moro National Liberation Front, helping end
\nmore than two decades of armed confrontation. In 1999, then
\nPresident Habibie named the Philippines as one of the six
\ncountries considered as \"friends of Indonesia\" on the East Timor
\nquestion.<\/p>\n
Last year, Indonesia again demonstrated its support when it
\nheaded the OIC Special Mission, which visited Mindanao to assess
\nthe progress of implementation of the 1996 peace agreement.<\/p>\n
The Philippines and Indonesia have also helped each other in
\ntimes of need.<\/p>\n
The Philippines was given assistance by Indonesia in the
\npurchase of crude oil during the oil crisis of the 1970s.<\/p>\n
At the height of the regional financial crisis in 1998, the
\nPhilippines pledged US$1 million to help Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Likewise, the Philippines responded to the devastating
\nearthquake that struck Bengkulu, Sumatra in 2000 by turning over
\n$20,000 for the humanitarian needs of those affected.<\/p>\n
In their desire to combat cross-border crime, the two
\ncountries signed an extradition treaty in 1976.<\/p>\n
This has recently borne fruit when joint law enforcement
\nefforts resulted in the first successful extradition case this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Two-way trade between the Philippines and Indonesia amounted
\nto $826 million in 2000, reflecting a 7.5 percent increase from
\nthe 1999 figure of $768 million.<\/p>\n
Philippine exports to Indonesia in 2000 reached $184 million,
\nconsisting mainly of transport equipment, semiconductors, crude
\ncoconut oil, dairy products and machineries.<\/p>\n
Philippine imports from Indonesia, mainly copper ores and
\nconcentrates, transport equipment, petroleum products, textile
\nyarns and paper products, amounted to $642 million.<\/p>\n
At present, there are 37 Philippine-Indonesian joint venture
\ncompanies operating in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
These companies are involved in the production of food and
\nbeverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, shoes, electronics and
\nfurniture as well as in management consulting services.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is also home to about 3,500 Filipinos expatriates
\nand their families.<\/p>\n
Many of the expatriates work as managers and technical
\nconsultants in major local and multinational companies.<\/p>\n
As the new millennium dawns, ushering in new challenges and
\nopportunities for the peoples of Southeast Asia, the Philippines
\nis optimistic that Indonesia will remain a very close and
\nreliable partner.<\/p>\n
As the Philippines goes through the process of maturing as a
\nnation, we are confident that Indonesia will continue to stand by
\nour side, just as we are ready to do the same for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The links of friendship and cooperation between Filipinos and
\nIndonesians nurtured over a very long period of time will
\nundoubtedly aid our two countries in our efforts to develop and
\nsurmount the challenges in the future.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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