The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Tourism (MLIT) held a workshop Tuesday on the construction and maintenance of road tunnels, featuring the technology used in building the Davao Bypass Project.

This comes after the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), the Philippines’ first underground railway.

In a video message, MLIT Minister Saito Tetsuo said the purpose of the workshop was to introduce tunnel construction technology used in the ongoing Davao Bypass project as well as share Japan’s experience in managing and operating various types of road tunnels.

“I hope that today’s workshop will provide an opportunity for Philippine government officials and Philippine private companies to learn more about the excellent technologies of Japanese construction and expressway companies and to further strengthen the cooperative relationship between our countries,” Tetsuo said.

During the workshop, Assistant Public Works Secretary Constante Llanes, Jr. gave a presentation on the second phase of the study of the master plan on High Standard Highway Network Development, which includes the Davao City Bypass Operation Project and the Dalton Pass East Alignment project.

The second phase of the master plan covers Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao compared to the original master plan which only involves Metro Manila and its 200-km sphere.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko announced that the two countries will have a “high-level” committee meeting on infrastructure and economic development which will also involved private-public partnerships (PPP).

“For the first time under the Marcos administration the meeting, of the Japan-Philippine high-level joint committee on infrastructure development and economic development cooperation will be held soon. I think on November. The outline of the Japan Philippine infrastructure cooperation will be discussed and decided during this very important meeting,” Koshikawa said.

Japanese expressway companies East Nippon Expressway Co (NEXCO), Hanshin Expressway, and Metropolitan Expressway, and Hanshin Expressway presented their equipment and methods of construction, operation and maintenance of road tunnels, as well safety measures in case of a tunnel fire and earthquake.

Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway, on the other hand, presented how to maintain long-span bridges including the inspection of the foundation of the bridges, and the maintenance of the painting coat among others.

After the workshop, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan and MLIT Vice Minister Mikio Yoshioka signed a memorandum of cooperation for more Japan-Philippine infrastructure partnerships. Jaspearl Tan/DMS