Japan reaffirms support for Philippine infrastructure development
The Philippine economic and infrastructure team, led by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto (speaking into a microphone), meets with representatives of the Japanese government in Osaka, Japan on Sept. 11, 2025. (Photo from DOF)
MANILA — Japan is continuing its support for the Philippine government’s infrastructure development agenda, guaranteeing financing assistance for big-ticket bridge, spillway and maritime projects.
In a statement Friday, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the Philippine economic and infrastructure team, led by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, met with the Japanese government in Osaka, Japan on Sept. 11 to discuss the progress of key projects supported by Japan.
Japan was represented by Dr. Mori Masafumi, special advisor to the prime minister of Japan, as well as officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cabinet secretariat, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
Part of the Philippine delegation were Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano, Economy, Planning and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Transportation acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Public Works and Highways Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain and Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew Balanquit.
The high-level meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2025 Osaka Expo and the Philippine Economic Briefing.
“Today’s discussions confirmed steady progress in cooperation across various fields, including large-scale infrastructure development, disaster prevention, information and communications, energy and the Mindanao peace process,” Masafumi said.
Among the big-ticket projects in the pipeline for Japanese financing for 2025 to 2026 is the 2.6-kilometer second San Juanico bridge construction project, which will connect Leyte and the Samar Islands via the municipalities of Babatngon and Sta. Rita.
This will cut travel time, reduce transport costs, and open new economic opportunities for local businesses and workers in Visayas.
Other projects include the Parañaque spillway construction project, designed to protect families in the Laguna Lakeshore areas by reducing flooding by up to 37 percent during extreme weather events.
The project will channel excess lake water from Laguna Lake into Manila Bay through Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Bacoor via an underground drainage system, safeguarding homes, livelihoods and communities.
Japan will also fund the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) support facility development project in the Subic Bay Area, which aims to enhance the PCG’s operational capacity.
“Your (Japanese government) confidence will be invested properly in the future of our people. Every yen and every peso will be made to work harder and go farther. We will meet your trust with transparency, predictability and delivery,” Recto said.
During the meeting, both sides also discussed project status updates, implementation challenges, corresponding resolutions and next steps for ongoing projects funded by Japan.
These include the North-South Commuter Railway Project, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project, and the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project.
Japan is the country’s largest official development assistance provider (ODA), with commitments amounting to approximately P805.7 billion, or 39.1 percent of the total ODA portfolio as of March 2025. /apl
