Bangkok(People's Daily) - A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the Philippines Friday to mark an infrastructure project to be financed by a Chinese soft loan program to the southeast Asian country.

(Photos: Courtesy of the organizers)

More than 2,500 people attended the ceremony at the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project in inner Luzon Island.

The Chico River Pump Irrigation Project will provide a stable supply of water to around 8,700 hectares of agricultural land, benefiting 4,350 farmers and their families. It will serve 21 barangays in the provinces of Kalinga and Cagayan in Northern Luzon.

Jocel Baac, governor of Kalinga Province, said this project "will definitely uplift the socio-economic wellbeing of our people, especially our farmers, the majority of whom are engaged in rice production."

The project "provides a perfect demonstration of our efficient work and close cooperation," said Jin Yuan, Chinese Economic and Commercial Counsellor to the Philippines.

Ricardo Visaya, administrator of Philippine National Irrigation Agency, expressed his gratitude in Chinese delivering the speech, saying, "Feichang ganxie," which means "great thanks."

Visaya called the project the first of many flagship projects under President Rodrigo Duterte's "Build, Build, Build" program to be completed by his agency.

Bilateral relations between China and the Philippines have unleashed great potential for cooperation and reaped rich outcomes. Last year, China-Philippine trade volume exceeded $50 billion, making China the Philippines' top trading partner, most imported-from country and the fourth largest export market. China's investment to the Philippines has increased by 67 percent. 

The China-backed grant assistance project Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers in Mindanao started construction in January this year, and China's Two Bridges Across Pasig River in Manila will start construction at the end of this month. China-donated engineering equipment for the Marawi Rehabilitation arrived last year, and China will launch more infrastructure projects this year, aimed at helping rebuild Marawi City. Meanwhile, besides the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, the two sides are discussing the first and second basket of infrastructure projects worth $10 billion to be funded by China, which will gradually begin construction from next year.

The loan agreement for the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project was signed on April 10 this year on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan, China.