Philippine and Chinese officials are set to meet in Beijing this week to continue discussions on ways to address the issues and challenges in the preparation and implementation of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure projects that China has committed to support through Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans and grants.

The Department of Finance (DOF) said that the meetings, set on Aug. 22-24, will include updates on the progress of the “first basket” of projects for Chinese loan financing, such as the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project, the Philippine National Railways’ South Long Haul Project, and the Davao-Samal Bridge Construction Project, along with the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon bridges that are being funded with grants from China.

Led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the Philippine delegation to China will also include Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Socioeonomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar; and Vivencio Dizon, president-CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is also expected to join the Philippine delegation.

Dominguez and the other members of the delegation are set to meet with China’s State Councilor and Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Zhong Shan; Director Wang Xiaotao of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA); Chairperson Hu Xiaolian of the Export-Import Bank of China (China EXIM); and Jin Liqun, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The delegation is also set to pay a courtesy call on Vice Premier of Economic Cooperation Hu Chunhua.

“The High-Level Meetings will focus on strengthening and enhancing our bilateral engagement and cooperation. “We express the hope that a number of bilateral documents would be presented and signed during the meeting, among them the exchange of letters for the feasibility study of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Inter-Island Bridges Project,” the DOF said.

Also up for discussion during the meeting are projects under the “second basket,” including the Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River Flood Control Projects, Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction Project, Subic-Clark Railway Project, Safe Philippines Project Phase I, and the Rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Plants Project.

The groundbreaking ceremony of the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon bridges across the Pasig River was held last July 17.

Both bridges are expected to ease traffic in Manila’s heavily congested areas where major business and commercial hubs thrive.

In April this year, Dominguez and Chinese officials signed a $62 million loan agreement in Hainan, China to help fund the construction of the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project and a separate accord on economic and technical cooperation providing for a $79 million grant for at least four other projects undertaken by the Philippine Government in cooperation with China.

The $62.09 million (about P3.135 billion) loan agreement on the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, which will be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), covers 85 percent of the total contract amount of $73.04 million (approximately P3.689 billion). The total project cost of the said project is $86.57 million (P4.372 billion).

According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the irrigation project will provide a stable supply of water to around 8,700 hectares of agricultural land, benefit 4,350 farmers and their families, and serve 21 barangays in the provinces of Cagayan and Kalinga in Northern Luzon.

Meanwhile, the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation involves a 500 million Renminbi grant (approximately $79 million or P4.13 billion) to finance the following projects and activities:

· the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon bridges in Metro Manila of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) (RMB 264.8 million, partial funding);

· the conduct of feasibility study for the Davao City Expressway Project of DPWH(RMB25.83 million);

· the provision of radio and broadcasting equipment to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (RMB17.82 million); and

· the Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology-Technical Cooperation Program Phase III of the Department of Agriculture(RMB 27.52 million). The total grant for these four projects amounts to RMB335.97 million.

The remaining amount of RMB164.03 million under the RMB500 million grant will be used to finance other projects, the DOF said.

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