The Philippines and Brunei Darussalam signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, pushing for regional food security, trade, and sustainable development.
The agreement was signed between the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture (DA) and Brunei’s Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) meeting in Manila. It builds on a letter of intent signed by the two countries in May 2024.
Under the MOU, the two Southeast Asian nations will collaborate on agrifood trade, agro-biotechnology, aquaculture, and precision agriculture. The cooperation covers livestock and poultry development, disease prevention, high-yield crop technologies, and downstream processing in both agriculture and fisheries.
The deal also provides for joint research, technical exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives, including training programs, technical visits, and the sharing of studies, publications, and data.
Private sector participation is a key feature of the partnership, with both countries agreeing to facilitate investment and trade through information sharing, particularly on sanitary and phytosanitary standards and market access requirements.
“This agreement reflects the shared goals of the Philippines and Brunei, good neigh-bors in Southeast Asia, to strengthen agri-fisheries systems and enhance food security through collaboration, innovation, and responsible development,” said Agriculture Sec-retary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The MOU also establishes mechanisms for policy coordination, intellectual property protection, and confidentiality in handling research outputs and technical information.
Officials from both sides said the partnership supports long-standing diplomatic and economic ties while laying the groundwork for mutually beneficial initiatives amid re-gional and global food security challenges.
The agreement will take effect once both parties confirm compliance with their respec-tive domestic procedures through diplomatic channels.
Last year, Brunei recorded a $224-million trade surplus with the Philippines, under-scoring the potential for broader economic cooperation under the new MOU.
