The Subic–Clark–Manila–Batangas Railway will be almost triple the length and more expensive than the initial China-backed proposal
On Friday, the US embassy in Manila said Washington would kick-start the project by funding technical help through the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), though it did not specify the amount.
“The railway is envisioned to be the backbone of the Luzon Economic Corridor, which will accelerate critical infrastructure investment and drive economic transformation in the Philippines,” the USTDA said.
Thomas Hardy, the agency’s acting director, said the project underscored the “vital role” of the US-Philippines alliance in keeping the Indo-Pacific “free and open”, and would help create “an essential trading route that will mutually benefit American and Philippine citizens”.
