China seeks update on Pasig River plan

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the Chinese government wanted to see soon concrete developments in the construction of two new bridges over Pasig River which China was funding through a 500-million yuan grant.

Lopez told reporters yesterday that the project, led by the Department of Public Works and Highways, was scheduled to start construction this year. He said the government was still deciding on where to build the bridges’ foundation.

“If you ask [China], they want some milestone groundbreaking. They want to see concrete things happening,” he said.
The Chinese grant for the two bridges, which is about P3.6 billion based on conversion rates in March, was among the key points agreed upon by top trade officials of both countries during the 28th Philippines-China Joint Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation (JCETC) in the first quarter of the year.