India Expresses Interest in Funding Key Philippine Railway Projects

The Department of Transportation said India is keen on helping fund the Philippines’ key railway projects, particularly the long-delayed Mindanao Railway project. “They are also interested in our railway projects like NSCR (North-South Commuter Railway), subway, and Mindanao railway. They are very interested in Mindanao railway, not only through consultancy but also in helping fund (these projects) either through ODA or PPP,” Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez said in a statement on Monday. India is also interested on funding the Philippine National Railways South Long Haul project, Mr. Lopez said, adding that the Philippines will have further meetings with the government of India to determine whether it will extend consultancy services for key railway projects, or funding through official development assistance. The Philippines is on the lookout for potential funding for the Mindanao Railway Project phase 1, and two more railway projects — the South Long Haul railway, and the Subic-Clark railway, after the country withdrew its loan request for official development assistance from China. Mr. Lopez said that the government of India is also interested in helping the country ensure that airports and seaports are disaster-resilient after the Philippines has officially joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. — Ashley Erika O. Jose