TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista and U.S. Undersecretary for Commerce and International Trade Marisa Lago met Wednesday to discuss potential areas of collaboration in the transportation sector, with a focus on opportunities to investment for American companies in major infrastructure projects.

Bautista said Thursday the high-level meeting would strengthen bilateral ties and explore partnerships between the two countries.

Bautista said he highlighted several critical transportation initiatives in which U.S. companies could play an important role.

Major projects discussed included the modernization of regional airports, as well as ambitious rail developments such as the North-South Commuter Rail System (NSCR), Metro Manila, and the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas rail project.

Lago, who led a US delegation on a Smart City trade mission to the Philippines, shared his thoughts on potential future developments.

She highlighted the Chicago subway system as a potential model for rail infrastructure in the Philippines, emphasizing its efficiency and scalability as a framework that can be applied to future rail lines in the country.

Bautista quoted Lago as saying that Chicago’s subway system is an example of modern, efficient transportation.

These discussions come as the Philippines continues to upgrade its infrastructure, particularly in transportation, under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

With the participation of American companies, the Philippine government hopes that major transportation projects will not only improve the country’s connectivity, but also boost overall economic growth and create thousands of jobs, Bautista said.