President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pursuing strategic partnerships with Indian agencies to advance major railway infrastructure projects and support the Philippines’ long-term plan to launch its own satellite.
During a meeting on Saturday, September 12, Marcos met with representatives of Rail India Technical and Economic Service Ltd. (RITES), a transport consultancy firm under India’s Ministry of Railways.
The discussions covered three key rail initiatives: the Mindanao Railway Project, a mass transit rail system in Cebu, and the planned extension of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) line from Tutuban.
Communications Secretary Dave Gomez noted that RITES could participate through technical consultancy, public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks, or by helping secure official development assistance (ODA).
“Ang unang-unang priority is the Mindanao Rail System. So titingnan nila yun at pag-aaralan natin. Susunod yung mass rail system sa Cebu,” Gomez said.
“And the third na papasukin nila, yung extension ng PNR sa Tutuban. So yung tatlong areas na yun sa rail system,” he added.
Gomez stated that partnering with India would provide the Philippines with valuable technical expertise and financial avenues for its large-scale rail vision.
In a separate meeting, Marcos conferred with officials from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to discuss potential collaboration with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), focusing on boosting national space technology capabilities and eventually deploying a Philippine satellite.
“Importante talaga na magkaroon din tayo ng sarili nating satellite dahil maraming gamit, maraming tulong ‘yan, from communications to weather forecasting because of climate change, to defense and security,” Gomez noted.
“So talaga yun ang aspiration ng administrasyong Marcos to eventually launch our satellite. So tutulungan nila tayo,” he added.
The high-level talks were attended by Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Finance Secretary Frederick Go, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, PhilSA Director General Dr. Gay Jane Perez, and Philippine Ambassador to India Josel Ignacio.
Marcos also met with representatives of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to discuss enhancing the country’s infrastructure against climate hazards following the Philippines’ entry into the international body.
The President is in India attending the two-day BRICS Summit upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, serving in his capacity as the 2026 Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).