The Philippines has inked more bilateral agreements with South Korea a day after it announced plans to purchase helicopters from the East Asian country.
The government has signed memoranda of understanding in various fields including science and technology, trade and economy, renewable energy deployment, and transportation.
Aside from the deals, South Korea also vowed to help in the rehabilitation efforts in Marawi and agreed to donate $1 billion as official development assistance fund.
In a statement, Duterte said the signing of the deals “promises not just a growth for our economies but also ushers in a new era of stronger cooperation and partnership”.
Duterte added that South Korea serves as an inspiration for the Philippines in terms of goals to transform the Philippine economy to become one of the most powerful in Asia.
“The Philippines has much to learn from South Korea’s story of successful transformation into a global economic powerhouse. This is why we are keen on partnering with [South] Korea in advancing new and innovative backbones of our modern development,” Duterte said.
Earlier, Duterte announced that the Philippine government is set to buy new 5A-50 fighter jets from South Korea after cancelling its $233-million helicopter deal with Canada.
Meanwhile, the Korean Embassy and the Korean Police National Agency turned over 130 police cars to the Philippine National Police (PNP) as part of the initiative “Enhancing the Criminal Investigation Capability of the Philippine National Police,” a joint agreement between the Philippines and Korea signed in 2014.
