Two key bridges spanning the Pasig River have been refinanced by Japan to ensure they would survive the “Big One.” Tokyo also injected new money to finish the country’s first subway system, connecting Quezon City to Southern Metro Manila, ending at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
“Just moments ago, Minister Motegi [Toshimitsu] and I exchanged diplomatic notes on the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic improvement project.
The project will reinforce our bridges, bringing them to superior seismic design specifications and making them resilient to large-scale tremors,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said during a joint meeting with his visiting Japanese counterpart at a hotel in Makati.
In Metro Manila, the Big One applies to a scenario wherein movements along the Valley Fault System could trigger a 7.2-magnitude quake, causing widespread damage to weak infrastructure.
The Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project will improve the resilience of two major and very busy bridges, Lambingan Bridge in Manila’s Sixth District, and Guadalupe Bridge along Edsa in Makati City, through the incorporation of improved seismic bridge design specifications. “The project thus supports the integrity of our arterial road network, contributes to secure and more sustainable economic and social development in Metro Manila, and enhances resilience in case of large-scale earthquakes in the National Capital Region,” the DFA said in a statement.
The original loan agreement amounting to ¥9,783,000,000 (roughly P4.5 billion) was signed on August 25, 2015. This current project responds to an increase in total project cost and the extension of the project implementation period by one year and eight months until August 2023.
“The cost increase is due to changes in construction technology to be applied onto Guadalupe Bridge, the need for temporary detour bridges in Guadalupe, and the need for additional work shifts to the construction period, among others. Japan, through Jica [Japan International Cooperation Agency], is thus providing a supplemental loan amount of ¥4,409,000,000 [P2 billion].”
Locsin added that an important aspect of Philippine economic cooperation with Japan pertains to infrastructure cooperation. He noted that in the remaining three years of President Duterte, “infrastructure will figure even more prominently in our ties.”
The DFA chief added, “Buttressed by dialogues between our respective economic managers, I welcome Minister Motegi’s pledge of continued substantial, financial, and technical support under the most concessional terms as only Japan can offer as the Duterte administration goes into the final push in our infrastructure drive.”
Locsin added: “This is an era that will see the revival of the age of rail in our country beginning with our first subway in the North- South Commuter Railway.”
Motegi said Japan strongly supports the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Philippine government, and will provide support in the field of railways “which is now [being revived] towards easing the traffic jam in Metro Manila.” He said “many people in the Philippines” keenly await the rail projects.
He said he and Locsin have signed and exchanged diplomatic notes “on additional yen credit for reinforcement of major bridges in Metro Manila against earthquakes.”
Japan, he said, “wishes to cooperate by leveraging on our knowledge in responding to natural disasters which is a common challenge for both our countries.”
Motegi said his country welcomes the lifting of the import ban of food products from Japan by the Philippines. “The ban was introduced after the incident after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. With this lifting, we hope that safe food from Fukushima, as well as other parts of Japan will reach many people in the Philippines.”
“Secretary Locsin and I were able to deepen our discussion from such perspectives and agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in wide areas including security and enforcement of the laws of the seas,” he said, adding that they discussed not only the bilateral issues but also issues in the Middle East as well as other regional issues.
“We had a very candid and frank discussion about the situation in North Korea. We agreed to closely work together for the complete denuclearization of North Korea, including the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions,” added the Japanese official.
Locsin recalled that in 2017, President Duterte had described the Philippine-Japan Strategic Partnership as having entered a “golden age.” Motegi’s visit adds further to that golden friendship, which remains one of the region’s closest and strongest, he added.
Building on the discussions between President Duterte and Prime Minister Abe in Bangkok, Locsin said, “we talked of the state of our cooperation in defense and maritime security, ODA, in infrastructure, and people to people exchanges. I expressed abiding appreciation of the government and indeed, of the entire indissoluble Philippine Republic of which the Bangsamoro is an integral part, for Japan’s generous and untiring support for Mindanao.”
Motegi said Japan welcomes the lifting of martial law in Mindanao at the end of last year and said Tokyo will support activities for disarmament and the retirement of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) soldiers, “and we will strengthen support for social infrastructure which will enable people in Mindanao to actually feel the benefits of peace.”
Japan’s top diplomat noted the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Games will be held in Tokyo this year and said Japan welcomes many athletes as well as tourists to visit Japan.
Image credits: Handout photo from D.O.F.