Philippine officials to present Japan with infra projects for funding

A Cabinet-level delegation is flying to Tokyo next week for talks with Japanese officials on a list of big infrastructure projects that the Philippines could implement in cooperation with Japan.

In a statement on Friday, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the delegation led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III will be Japan on March 27 to 28.

It will be the first session under the Joint Committee on Philippines-Japan Infrastructure and Economic Cooperation, the department noted, and follows the official visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Japan last year and the reciprocal visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the Philippines in January.
 
When he visited Davao, Abe committed ¥1 trillion in official development assistance and investments to the Philippines within the next five years.
 
A formal invitation to the joint committee meeting was sent to Dominguez by Dr. Hiroto Izumi, the special advisor to Prime Minister Abe, the DOF noted.
 
"Izumi has asked Dominguez to co-chair the joint committee with him," it added.
 
Aside from Dominguez the Philippine delegation includes Senator Alan Peter Cayetano,  Secretaries Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management, Alfonso Cusi of the Department of Energy and Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic and Development Authority.
 
Also part of the delegation are Vivencio Dizon, president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority; Undersecretary Cesar  Chavez of the Department of Transportation; and Charge d'Affaires Eduardo Martin Meñez of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.
 
"The Dominguez-led delegation is expected to present the Philippines’ medium-term development plan and update Japanese officials on the country’s macroeconomic situation during the joint committee meeting," the DOF said.
 
This team is expected to discuss a potential list of infrastructure projects for possible Japanese financing with high-ranking officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Ministries of  Foreign Affairs; Health, Labor and Welfare; Finance; Economy, Trade and Industry; Internal Affairs and Communications; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and Land Infrastructure and Transport.
 
Up for discussions are possible cooperation agreements between the two countries in the areas of energy, infrastructure and support for Mindanao, as well as public safety – counterterrorism and the anti-illegal drugs campaign – environment and agriculture, disaster prevention, information technology and human resource development. — Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News