Australia to step up investments, maritime cooperation with PH

The Australian government is planning to increase its investments and step up its civil maritime engagement with the Philippines. The commitment was made in the five-year Philippine-Australia Development Partnership Plan (DPP) 2024-2029 launched at the Makati Shangri-la in Makati City on Thursday. In the roadmap, Canberra acknowledged that Manila is grappling with 'heightened external security challenges,' particularly in the South China Sea. 'Current maritime disputes have the potential to impact the Philippines' national security, the blue economy, and the marine environment, partially because of the Philippine Government's diversion of resources to external defence,' it read. 'We will step up our civil maritime cooperation with the Philippines through increased investment, including non-ODA (official development assistance) sources,' it added. Australia said it would focus on helping strengthen the Philippine civil maritime agencies through training, scholarships, and practical cooperation while supp orting strengthened governance and coordination between key Philippine government agencies. Canberra also intends to enhance its investment and cooperation with Manila in cybersecurity, promotion of human rights, peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro, and prevention of transnational crime, including human trafficking, smuggling, and illegal fishing. In the first three years of the DPP, Australia said it hopes to finish the training of at least 100 stakeholders in maritime security. It also aims to see improved public perception of Australia as a 'key partner in civil maritime security and protection issues'. Under the Philippine-Australia Strategic Partnership, Canberra is providing over PHP4 billion (AUD104 million) per year in capacity building and development support to the Philippines, including PHP3.6 billion (AUD94.2 million) in ODA. Over the last 20 years, this has amounted to over PHP63 billion (AUD1.6 billion), making Australia's development program for the Philippines its fifth largest. The DPP laun ch was attended by Australian Ambassador HK Yu, Arsenio Balisacan, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Jan Adams. Source: Philippines News agency