21 March 2025, Seoul – Ambassador Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega assured Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation (MOLIT) H.E. Park Sang-woo of the Philippine commitment to fortifying transportation and infrastructure cooperation with the Republic of Korea through transformative projects that will improve connectivity in the Philippines, elevate the living standards of residents, and boost priority industries such as trade and tourism. 

The Philippines and the Republic of Korea are partners in numerous transportation and infrastructure projects including the North-South Commuter Railway, the MRT Line 7 project, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport rehabilitation, the Laguna Lakeshore Network Project, and the Bridges program of the Philippines including the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge. 

To further bolster PH-ROK partnership in transportation and infrastructure, Minister Park and Ambassador Dizon-De Vega agreed on the importance of exploring advancements, and opportunities in technology including in areas such as mechanical systems, engineering, and railways where the ROK is at the forefront. The Panguil Bay Bridge in Northern Mindanao, a flagship accomplishment completed through PH-ROK official development cooperation has won the prestigious Grand Prize at the Korean Institute of Bridge and Structural Engineering’s (KIBSE) 2024 Excellent Structure Awards. 

Minister Park also encouraged the Philippines to leverage official development assistance funding made available by the Republic of Korea through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF). 

Both sides also looked forward to continuing high-level exchanges on transportation and infrastructure to strengthen the partnership. The Republic of Korea is a key partner of the Philippines on projects requiring official development assistance under the Philippines’ Build Better More program.  

Ambassador Dizon De Vega was joined by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario. ROK Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Affairs Nam Youngwoo, Construction Policy Bureau and Overseas Development Team Director Hwang Se-eun, and Policy Advisor to the Minister Myung Gu Jin. END