Manila, June 27 -- The Philippines and the United States signed a beneficiary deal that would boost US technical assistance in the construction of the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Cargo Railway.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Acting Director Thomas Hardy signed the agreement during a bilateral meeting in Arlington, Virginia on June 26.

The proposed 155-km. SCMB freight rail, a flagship project of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), aims to link key industrial and trade zones in Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas province.

Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said the project is set to be a "game-changer" in the LEC, "demonstrating the firm commitment of the Philippines a...