President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the Philippines’ reliance on South Korea’s assistance in major infrastructure initiatives, citing airports, coastal roads, and river projects as vital areas of cooperation.
Marcos made the appeal during a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who is in Manila for a two-day state visit.
“We look forward as well to your continued support for our major infrastructure projects, particularly the legacy project in new Dumaguete Airport, the Samar Pacific Coastal Road, the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, and the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network, some of the very important projects that we are being assisted by Korea with,” he said in his opening remarks at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, March 3.
The Chief Executive also acknowledged Korea’s role in the now-operational Panguil Bay Bridge in northern Mindanao, which he personally inaugurated in September 2024.
He expressed optimism that construction of the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island Bridge “will start as soon as possible” and welcomed Korea’s strong interest in the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge.
Beyond infrastructure, Marcos highlighted broader development partnerships with Seoul, spanning artificial intelligence, marine cleanup, water resource management, agricultural mechanization, ambulatory health services, capacity building, and support for vulnerable communities in Bangsamoro.
“These initiatives directly support the well-being of our people and further strengthen the human connections that are at the heart of the partnership between our two countries,” he said.