The Philippines aims to finalize 25 official development assistance (ODA) loan agreements with Japan, South Korea and France totaling $10.3 billion, Department of Finance Secretary Frederick Go said Thursday.
The proposed financing includes 10 loans from Japan, 10 from South Korea and five from France.
Department of Finance officials previously indicated the government expects to secure three agreements with Japan worth about $1.58 billion by March 2026, with an additional 11 loans totaling $2.41 billion under consideration through the first quarter of 2027.
“What’s obvious to us now are actually 10 ODA loans from Japan, 10 pipeline loans from Korea and five loans from France,” Go told reporters during a media briefing with the Social Security System.
Beyond bilateral agreements, the Philippines is preparing to tap the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for two specific projects in 2026.
This follows the 2024 AIIB board approval of the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project and a facility for infrastructure studies, both of which the Philippine government formally approved in 2025.
Go confirmed he met with AIIB representatives Wednesday to discuss the 2026 pipeline. The talks focused on the Luzon Digital Connectivity project with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Metro Manila Sponge City project.
The digital connectivity initiative is estimated at $500 million, while the flood management project is valued at $150 million.
Go noted that while these are the primary accounts under review, the terms remain under discussion with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
“Those are the two accounts that they’re looking at, but of course, nothing is certain. We’re still discussing with AIIB, together with DICT and MMDA,” Go said.
The move to secure these multi-billion dollar credit lines is part of a broader strategy to sustain infrastructure development and digital transformation through 2027.
