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.