DAVAO CITY Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi on January 3 paid a courtesy call to President Duterte at the Presidential Guest House in the city.
During their meeting, both Duterte and the Indonesian Foreign Minister agreed to elevate cooperation on trade, maritime security, education and eradicating terrorism.
The Philippine Chief Executive also expressed his interest anew in the resumption of the Philippines-Indonesia routes to further strengthen trade between the two countries.
While declaring that the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Marawi City are in full swing, Duterte said that he wants to intensify maritime security in cooperation with Indonesia as foreign and local terrorists continue to enter and exit the country despite military efforts to go after these elements.
He had also expressed interest in providing scholarships for Muslim students, particularly to those who are enrolled in the Madrasa institutions.
Indonesian Embassy in Manila Charge d’affaires Budi Dhewajani, Consul General for Indonesian Embassy in Davao Berlian Napitupulu and Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for Southeast Asian Affairs Deni Abdi, among others, accompanied Marsudi.
Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique A. Manalo, as well as the Department of Education’s Undersecretary Lorna D. Dino and Director Marge Ballesteros were also present during the meeting.
Joint education program
MARSUDI also formally announced the joint education program between the Philippines and Indonesia as she hoped to pursue such to “spread the Islamic values” in Southeast Asian nations.
According to the Consul for Information and Socio Cultural Affairs of the Indonesian Consulate in Davao City Endah Yuliarti Farry, the program marks the opening of the Indonesian-Philippines Islamic Cooperation.
The latter said the joint education program is a follow-up of the discussion between Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Trilateral Meeting of Foreign Ministers during the 50th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Manila on November 12, 2017.
Marsudi, who led the launch of the Islamic Education Cooperation of Indonesia and the Philippines on January 4 in Davao City at the Al-Munawara Islamic School in Ma-a, said her government is ready to cover the annual scholarship for Madrasah students.
However, she said the technical scheme of the program would be fine-tuned by education officials from both Indonesia through its Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Philippines.
Marsudi noted that the partnership between the neighboring countries had been established for decades, and it is the Indonesian government’s desire to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries through education.
“Our two presidents…had discussed on strengthening education and cooperation,” she said, and added, “It is Indonesia’s strong commitment to work closely with the government of the Philippines on this.”
She went further: “This will be part of the education cooperation between two countries, and we will work with all stakeholders to enhance cooperation in areas of education, particularly on Islamic education.”
The Foreign Minister pointed out that Indonesia, being the focal point for Islamic education development, will not only involve her government through its Ministry of Religious Education but also Indonesia’s civil society and Islamic organizations.
Marsudi explained the two governments would work closely on projects that include curriculum development and exchange programs for ulamas, principals, teachers and students.
In particular, she noted, “We want to provide students of Islamic schools full knowledge on Islam so that, in the near future, Islamic education will flourish here.”
‘Stateless’ Indonesians get passports
MEANWHILE, about 300 persons of Indonesian descent (PIDs) were finally issued their Indonesian travel documents after several years of staying in Mindanao, thanks to the 68-year stronger diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Indonesia that finally recognized the need to give persons of Indonesian descents a nationality.
Marsudi led the distribution of passports to 300 PIDs at the House of Indonesia in Davao City.
This also took place following the successful registration facilitated by the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR).
Marsudi lauded this achievement, although it took longer for both countries to do this.
“Every time we meet with the Philippine government, we always discuss [ways on solving] this issue, so I appreciate very much the good cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia [as well as] the UNHCR in making the registration done,” she commented.
Marsudi revealed that, out of the 8,745 passports processed during the registration, 2,425 were confirmed as Indonesians.
She noted that it is the basic right of every person to get their status of nationality and the conferment is the first phase of granting PIDs their passports living in the southern Philippines.
The Indonesian minister pointed out the importance of having a nationality, saying stateless people face risks because they do not know who will protect them.
She said that one of the priorities of Indonesia’s foreign policies is the protection of its nationals living in foreign lands like the Philippines, whose government’s similar priority is to protect Filipinos living abroad.
Marsudi, however, underscored the fact that the processing of documents for the PIDs was challenging because they have been living in the Philippines for decades.
She said everyone has to respect the law of the country where they live in.
UNHCR focal person for the Registration and Confirmation of PIDs in the southern Philippines Meriam Faith Palma said the registration is part of the campaign “I Belong,” with the enlistment being part of the joint committee of bilateral cooperation of ending issues on statelessness on the part of Indonesia.
The passports documentation plus distribution are continuing activities, as the series of education and awareness campaigns will be conducted in the different communities populated by PIDs in Mindanao.
Earlier reports showed that PIDs could be found in seven provinces and two cities in Mindanao. They are now residing in Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, South Cotabato and the cities of General Santos and Davao.
Image credits: Joey Dalumpines/Presidential Photo