The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is expecting to forge new business alliances centered on infrastructure development with South Korea that will benefit the Filipino people.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said this as he attended the Korea-Philippine Infrastructure and Plant Forum and the Korea-Asean Project Plaza in Taguig City on Thursday, October 12.
Sadain said the event served as an avenue where the governments of the Republic of Korea and the Philippines shared expertise on infrastructure growth and highlighted their collaborated projects that are currently in progress.
In his message, Sadain mentioned some infrastructure development plans under the “Build Better More” infrastructure program of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. including the Panguil Bay Bridge Project in Northern Mindanao, the Pampanga Integrated Disaster Risk and Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Central Luzon, and detailed engineering design (DED) activities for the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges.
He noted that the partnership between the Philippines and South Korea “remains active” as proven by various infrastructure projects built under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the Export-Import Bank of Korea, including the recently completed Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project in Northern Samar.
He said the cooperation of the two countries has since evolved as it now involved technology transfer, educational exchanges, and disaster relief activities.
Also present in the event were Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-Hwa, and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Manila Director General Lee Sujung. (Trixee Rosel)