By Pearl Gumapos
The Philippines and Singapore have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation on defense and security, trade and investments, pandemic response, and the protection of overseas Filipinos in Singapore.
This was during the virtual 5th Informal Consultations on the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan (ICPSAP) which was co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial and Singaporean Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary Ng Teck Hean on July 14.
According to a statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on July 16, both countries discussed developments in Philippines-Singapore bilateral relations.
Updates on joint cooperation initiatives and prospective ways to further advance the engagement and collaboration of the two countries were also discussed.
Despite the pandemic, trade and investment relations remain firm between the two countries, with two-way trade amounting to US$9 billion in 2020 and Singapore becoming the Philippines’ top investor in 2019.
During the meeting, both sides discussed different initiatives to further enhance economic ties and to hasten post-pandemic recovery.
Agri imports, investments
One key project discussed was the facilitation of the entry of Philippine agricultural products such as egg, poultry, and vegetables into Singapore. The project will aid Singapore’s bid to diversify its food import sources.
The Philippines also invited Singapore to invest in the development of green and smart cities, (particularly in New Clark City), industrial parks and economic zones, clean and renewable energy sources, and waste and water management systems.
Industry 4.0
In recognizing the global changes with the onset of Industry 4.0 and increasingly digital economies, the two countries have agreed to seek synergies and leverage each other’s strengths to promote innovation; support startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises; enhance creative industries; improve ICT infrastructure; and cooperate in cybersecurity and data protection.
Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices using modern smart technology.
Filipino workers in SG
According to the DFA, Singapore has also recognized the contribution of the more than 200,000 Filipinos to Singapore’s socio-economic development and highlighted the key role of Filipino healthcare workers in its COVID-19 response.
In turn, the Philippines reiterated its proposal for a bilateral labor agreement to further protect and ensure the welfare of Filipino workers in Singapore.
Health matters
Both sides also committed to continue joint efforts to address the effects of the pandemic by sustaining the close cooperation between Philippine and Singaporean health ministries, share expertise in contact tracing and treatment strategies, and begin discussions on the recognition of health certificates for inbound travelers in anticipation of the resumption of travel after the pandemic.
Other regional concerns
The DFA said that in recognizing global and regional security issues that require a concerted response by partner states, the Philippines and Singapore agreed to intensify coordination and cooperation in the areas of maritime domain awareness, counterterrorism, defense industry development, intelligence exchange, joint military training, and law enforcement.
Both sides also tackled pressing regional issues of mutual concern, and have committed to closely coordinate and work together to respond to the same.
The ICPSAP is the annual primary bilateral mechanism by which the Philippines and Singapore review the implementation of the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan, a consolidated framework identifying priority areas for mutually-beneficial collaboration in various areas of bilateral cooperation and multilateral engagement.
The ICPSAP was last held in Manila in December 2018. The Philippines will host the 6th iteration in 2022. (DFA) – jlo
