“We are still considering,” German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke said in a chance interview during the forum “Building Credible Deterrence Through Multi-Domain Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization” held Thursday, May 14, at the Manila Polo Club.
Pfaffernoschke said Germany’s possible participation would likely come through private sector investments, particularly in logistics and defense-related industries.
The original LEC partners — the Philippines, the United States, and Japan — earlier announced that Canada, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom had joined the initiative.
Canada is the latest country to join, committing PHP89 million (US$1.4 million) in technical assistance funding for projects jointly identified by the Philippine and Canadian governments. The initiative will also help connect potential Canadian investors to the corridor.
Launched in April 2024 as the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) corridor in the Indo-Pacific, the LEC aims to improve connectivity among Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas through investments in transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing supply chains.
“The expansion of the LEC partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration among like-minded nations committed to transparency and shared prosperity,” said Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go, co-chair of the LEC Steering Committee.
LEC partners are contributing through technical assistance, financing, and private sector investment support. Among the commitments announced are Australia’s PHP1.9-billion partnership for inclusive economic growth, Sweden’s PHP74-million grant for a freight railway feasibility study, and the United Kingdom’s PHP411-billion export finance package for infrastructure and energy projects.
