(Eagle News)-Transportation Secretary Art Tugade met with the Parliamentary Delegation of the House of Councillors of the Diet of Japan on Friday, Jan. 10, the Department of Transportation said.
The DOTr said the meeting between the delegation headed by Japanese House of Councillors (HC) Member Iwai Shigeki, together with Koyari Takashi, Koga Yukihito, Wakamatsu Kaneshige, Chief Researcher Hiromatsu Akihiko, and Assistant Director Kondo Tomoya centered on discussions of the ongoing and future railway projects under Japan’s Official Development Assistance.
The delegation was accompanied by the Embassy of Japan, represented by Minister of Japan Nakata Masahiro, First Secretary Shigeru Hori, as well as members from the JICA, Chief Representative Yoshio Wada and Senior Representative Kiyo Kawabuchi.
The DOTr said the delegation in particular “expounded their desire to accord assistance and help to accelerate the railway projects which are currently ongoing, such as the MRT-3 rehabilitation, as one of the solutions to ease the traffic in the metro.”
Tugade said the Japan government could help to further advance the rehabilitation and maintenance of the MRT-3, and to accelerate the use of the Dalian trains.
“With the relationship between the Japanese and Philippine governments, with the help of JICA, various projects in the country are now moving fast and sure. And I am sure, that after this meeting, it will become faster and more sure,” Tugade said.
He also announced Japan was donating more or less 30 units of simulators to be used at the Philippine Railways Institute.
