Bishop assured Duterte that Australia is willing to cooperate in building capacities for responsible mining and use of energy resources. “It was a very warm and cordial meeting which reaffirmed the long-standing ties between (the Philippines and Australia),” Abella said. It will take the place of the Basic Education Assistance to Mindanao program (BEAM), which will end in July. Australia is a longstanding and trusted development partner in the education sector in the Philippines. In Mindanao, Australia has previously supported the BEAM (2002 to 2009); the Philippines Response to Indigenous Peoples’ and Muslim Education program (PRIME, 2011 to 2014); and the BEAM from 2012 to 2017.

Source: Philippine Star March 17, 2017 16:28 UTC