Marcos taps Indian rail firm for Mindanao, Cebu, PNR projects

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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with an Indian railway company on Saturday to explore studies for three proposed railway systems in the Philippines, including projects in Mindanao and Cebu and the extension of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) from Tutuban in Manila.

The meeting took place during the 8th BRICS Summit in India.

BRICS is an association of developing economies, of which the Philippines is not a member. Marcos said in his departure message that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him to attend the summit as the 2026 ASEAN chair and as an outreach participant, or a non-member country invited to join the summit discussions.

In a “24 Oras Weekend” report by Darlene Cay, Marcos arrived in India at 11:15 p.m. New Delhi time.

Marcos said he would advocate for global governance, disaster preparedness and international cooperation during the summit.

“We will call for fairer global governance, stronger disaster preparedness, and responsible use of new technologies, climate action and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law,” Marcos said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the BRICS Summit. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Marcos would not hold formal dialogues with either leader.

Marcos said he wanted to ensure that the Philippines remained open to engaging with various countries while upholding international law and responsible conduct in maritime areas.

“We must now ensure that the sea lanes are just as free, open, and governed by law, rules, and responsible behavior,” Marcos said.

The President also met with representatives of the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, which shared insights on disaster management and resilience.

“The meeting was about the experiences of coalition members in dealing with disasters and how to become more disaster-resilient. At the same time, they will also help us access financing,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez said.

According to Cay’s report, Marcos was also scheduled to meet with Modi to assess the progress of the five-year plan of action between the Philippines and India. It would be their first meeting since Marcos’ state visit to India last year.

“Our discussions will cover defense and maritime cooperation, trade and investment, the proposed preferential trade agreement, health and pharmaceuticals, digital cooperation, tourism, direct air connectivity, and people-to-people ties,” Marcos said.

“It will also be an auspicious occasion to renew our invitation for Prime Minister Modi to visit Manila for the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit in November,” he added.

Marcos was scheduled to attend the BRICS Gala Dinner on the evening of September 12 and deliver a speech during the opening session on September 13.— MCG, GMA News