Philippines-Indonesia Relations, a continuing partnership
Philippines-Indonesia Relations, a continuing partnership
Philippine-Indonesian relations are characterized by a genuine sense of brotherhood borne out of centuries of close and vibrant interaction as neighbors.
In precolonial times, trade, commerce and transmigration flourished between our peoples.
Intermarriages and alliances solidified these cross-cultural and economic links.
Over the centuries, the movement of peoples, goods and ideas between the two archipelagos intensified.
The deep roots of Philippine-Indonesian relations are evident not only in the similarity between Filipino, the national language of the Philippines, and Bahasa Indonesia, but more so in shared values.
Both Filipinos and Indonesians give very high regard to family, honor and seniority. Tradition, communitarian values and religion also play an important role in daily life.
Official diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Indonesia were established on Nov. 24, 1949.
The Philippine Consulate in Jakarta, which later became the Philippine Embassy, opened to the public for business on the same date at No. 6, Jl. Imam Bonjol.
A few months later, the Indonesian Government established the Indonesian Embassy in Manila. The Philippines is currently represented in Indonesia by His Excellency Leonides T. Caday. Indonesia is represented in the Philippines by His Excellency Ambassador Soeratmin.
The two countries have signed more than 26 bilateral agreements covering a wide range of areas such as economic and technical cooperation, culture, extradition, immigration, border crossing, border patrol, trade, shipping, defense and security cooperation, and air services.
Agreements on forestry, tourism cooperation, social security, labor and manpower development, education and fisheries cooperation are under negotiation.
In 1993, then Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos and then Indonesian President Soeharto decided to establish the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), a mechanism for the regular review of all aspects of bilateral cooperation.
The first Philippines-Indonesia JCBC was held in Manila in 1995 while the second was held in Jakarta in 1998. The third JCBC is slated in Manila early next year.
For almost 52 years, the Philippines and Indonesia have supported each other's interests and national goals.
The Philippines has consistently expressed its support for Indonesian sovereignty and territorial integrity on secessionist issues.
On the other hand, Indonesia played a crucial role in the conclusion of the peace agreement in 1996 between the Philippine Government and the Moro National Liberation Front, helping end more than two decades of armed confrontation. In 1999, then President Habibie named the Philippines as one of the six countries considered as "friends of Indonesia" on the East Timor question.
Last year, Indonesia again demonstrated its support when it headed the OIC Special Mission, which visited Mindanao to assess the progress of implementation of the 1996 peace agreement.
The Philippines and Indonesia have also helped each other in times of need.
The Philippines was given assistance by Indonesia in the purchase of crude oil during the oil crisis of the 1970s.
At the height of the regional financial crisis in 1998, the Philippines pledged US$1 million to help Indonesia.
Likewise, the Philippines responded to the devastating earthquake that struck Bengkulu, Sumatra in 2000 by turning over $20,000 for the humanitarian needs of those affected.
In their desire to combat cross-border crime, the two countries signed an extradition treaty in 1976.
This has recently borne fruit when joint law enforcement efforts resulted in the first successful extradition case this year.
Two-way trade between the Philippines and Indonesia amounted to $826 million in 2000, reflecting a 7.5 percent increase from the 1999 figure of $768 million.
Philippine exports to Indonesia in 2000 reached $184 million, consisting mainly of transport equipment, semiconductors, crude coconut oil, dairy products and machineries.
Philippine imports from Indonesia, mainly copper ores and concentrates, transport equipment, petroleum products, textile yarns and paper products, amounted to $642 million.
At present, there are 37 Philippine-Indonesian joint venture companies operating in Indonesia.
These companies are involved in the production of food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, shoes, electronics and furniture as well as in management consulting services.
Indonesia is also home to about 3,500 Filipinos expatriates and their families.
Many of the expatriates work as managers and technical consultants in major local and multinational companies.
As the new millennium dawns, ushering in new challenges and opportunities for the peoples of Southeast Asia, the Philippines is optimistic that Indonesia will remain a very close and reliable partner.
As the Philippines goes through the process of maturing as a nation, we are confident that Indonesia will continue to stand by our side, just as we are ready to do the same for Indonesia.
The links of friendship and cooperation between Filipinos and Indonesians nurtured over a very long period of time will undoubtedly aid our two countries in our efforts to develop and surmount the challenges in the future.