Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade welcomed the Parliamentary Delegation of the House of Councillors of the Diet Friday.

The meeting with the delegation, headed by House of Councillors Member Iwai Shigeki, 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 (ODA).

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 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Chief Representative Yoshio Wada and Senior Representative Kiyo Kawabuchi.

During the meeting, the Japan delegation expounded their desire to accord assistance and help to accelerate the railway projects which are ongoing, such as the MRT-3 rehabilitation, as one of the solutions to ease the traffic in the metro.

With this, Tugade reiterated two things of which the Japan government can possibly help: (1) to further advance the rehabilitation and maintenance of the MRT-3, and (2) to accelerate the use of the Dalian trains.

Tugade underscored the importance of adopting Land Value Capture for completing more infrastructure projects.

“We are pushing for the acceptance and adoption of Land Value Capture in the evaluation of infrastructure projects. With this concept, we can build more infrastructure and we can assure the return of investment on a faster basis,” Tugade said.

The importance of acquiring land and resolving right-of-way issues for projects were also discussed by the transportation chief. He also pointed out the significance of working towards the full completion of the project as well as Partial Operability.

Further, Tugade announced that Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is donating by way of grant, around 30 units of simulators to be used for the Philippine Railways Institute).

“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,” said Tugade.

After the meeting, Tugade, together with DOTr officials, led the Japan delegation in an ocular inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation and maintenance of MRT-3.

Other officials present in the meeting were DOTr Usec. for Finance Garry de Guzman, Usec. for Railways Timothy John Batan, Asec. for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez, PNR General Manager Junn Magno, and MRT-3 General Manager Rodolfo Garcia. DMS