Lawmakers from the House of Representatives are urging the government to tap Japan — a long-time ally of the Philippines and a supporter of public-private infrastructure developments of the Marcos administration’s “Build, Better, More” — to bankroll two stalled big-ticket projects, Mindanao Railway and Bicol Express.

Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel urged his former peer, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto to seek Japan’s additional official development assistance (ODA) for the Mindanao Railway Project, which was halted due to lack of funding.

The ODA is a loan or grant administered to promote sustainable social and economic development and welfare of the Philippines.