01 December 2014 – Manado City hosted the 33rd Philippines-Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference from November 18 to 21. Philippine Consul General Jose D.R. Burgos and Personnel of the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) assisted the 35 members of the Philippine delegation, led by Lieutenant General Aurelio B. Baladad of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in meeting their Indonesian counterparts, led by Major General Bachtiar of the Indonesian Army (also known as Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI), Kodam VII in Makassar. The event was co-organized by the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) and the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI), in accordance with the 1975 Philippines-Indonesia Border Crossing Agreement.
During the course of the Chairmen’s Conference, participants discussed proposals to strengthen the annual Philippines-Indonesia Border Crossing activities towards closer cooperation and coordination in border security between the Philippine and Indonesian navies. Other matters were also discussed, including border trade and other bilateral security concerns, such as in anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, anti-drug trafficking, and the protection of marine life, as well as the expansion of patrolled areas covering the island of Sulu, information sharing, and the assignment of immigration personnel from both Philippines and Indonesia to do close border surveillance and monitoring.
Over the course of the Conference, the visiting Philippine delegation paid a courtesy call on the Governor of North Sulawesi Dr. Sinyo Harry Sarundajang at the Governor’s Office. Proposals to improve Philippines-Indonesia border security as well as the expansion of Philippines-Indonesia Border Committee Activities to include marine protection and the conduct of marine pollution exercises in the Philippines-Indonesia maritime border were discussed. The Governor also mentioned about the Traditional Fishing Rights of Citizens/Residents in Areas Washed by Sulawesi (Celebes) Sea Waters during the meeting. He then hosted a gala dinner for the visiting delegation, wherein the Philippine delegates, VIP guests and high officials had the opportunity to discuss developments in security cooperation, as well as developments in interconnectivity, trade and travel between Southern Mindanao and the whole Sulawesi Island not just Manado, North Sulawesi. END