The Philippines and China have set up a program to serve as guidelines for their infrastructure cooperation for the next 10 years until 2028.

This was contained in the infrastructure Cooperation Program that the two countries signed during the recent state visit in the Philippines by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"In order to strengthen the link between China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Philippines' Long-Term Vision, put into practice the consensus reached between China and the Philippines on strengthening infrastructure cooperation, and promote further in-depth cooperation, both sides jointly develop and adopt the Infrastructure Cooperation Program...to serve as guidelines for bilateral infrastructure cooperation for the next ten years," the 25-page program read.

Under the deal, the projects to be identified would be based on the most cost-efficient and cost-effective measures to attain the best value for money.

"The timeline of the Program is from November 2018 to November 2028," it said.

The key areas for bilateral cooperation are on transportation, agriculture, power, watershed management, and ICT/telecommunications.

For transportation, the two countries agreed to encourage their respective enterprises to participate in railway construction, such as the Mindanao Railway Project, Subic-Clark Railway Project, and Philippine National Railways South Long Haul Project.

They also want to work together on roads, ferries, such as the Pasig River Ferry System, and airports.

Under agriculture cooperation, Manila and Beijing want their enterprises to participate in the implementation of irrigation and fish port projects.

Aside from infrastructure cooperation program, the two countries also inked 28 other deals during Xi's visit in Manila. Celerina Monte/DMShina push for 10-year infrastructure cooperation