P75-B LOAN DEALS PARA SA ‘BBB’ NILAGDAAN NG PH, JAPAN

LUMAGDA ang Fi­lipinas at ang Japan sa dalawang loan agreements na may kabuuang halaga na P75.5 billion o ¥154 billion yen para sa dalawang big-ticket infrastructure projects sa ilalim ng ‘Build Build Build’ program ng administrasyong Duterte.

Nilagdaan nina Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III at Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chief representative Eigo ­Azukizawa ang mga kasunduan para sa P57-billion o ¥119-billion loan upang suportahan ang konstruksiyon ng Cebu-Mactan Fourth Bridge at ng Coastal Road Construction project sa Visayas at supplemental financing ng P18.5 billion o ¥35 billion para sa Davao City Bypass Construction Project.

“We express our heartfelt gratitude to the people and the Government of Japan, represented today by the officials of JICA and of course, by His Excellency, the Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, for their generosity and earnestness in supporting our infrastructure modernization program,” pahayag ni Dominguez matapos na lagdaan  ang loan deals sa tanggapan ng Department of Finance (DOF) sa Maynila.

“Given the challenging circumstances, these projects bring more support to our economic recovery well beyond their nominal value,” dagdag pa niya.

Ang pag-apruba sa loans para sa dalawang proyekto ay pinabilis sa pamamagitan ng high-level consultations sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa.

Sa kanyang panig, sinabi ni Azukizawa na ang loan agreements ay nilagdaan kahit sa gitna ng global crisis na dulot ng COVID-19 pandemic.

“In a broader sense, I hope that these projects will also contribute to the economic recovery of the country amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as we fully support your government’s pronouncement that restarting and accelerating the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program should be one of many strategies for reviving the Philippine economy,” ani Azukizawa.

Ang signing ceremony ay sinaksihan nina Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda at  Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

Ang dalawang proyekto ay inaasahang magpapasigla sa ekonomiya at lilikha ng maraming trabaho sa Visayas at Mindanao.    PMRT