Japanese firm Hitachi Ltd. is considering making a big infrastructure play in the Philippines through railway PPP projects or public-private partnership projects. One of the projects eyed is the P171-billion North South Commuter railway deal. CEO of Hitachi rail, Alistair Dormer, told the Inquirer that the group has been studying the country’s infrastructure and transportation requirements for the last six months.
“At this moment in time, railway infrastructure in the Philippines is quite small. Traffic congestion is quite heavy and I have no doubt this will increase in the future. But if you look at the economy, it’s still strong,” Dormer said. “All these factors lead to the view that there must be a way to expand the railway network in the Philippines.”
According to Dormer, Hitachi was the fourth biggest player in the world when it comes to railways. The company’s push in the Philippines–where it has more than 2,700 employees–is actually in line with its plans to increase their infrastructure footprint in the region.
