MANILA - Aboitiz Equity Ventures said Tuesday it planned to bid for regional airports and rail projects, as it bets its cement business on President Rodrigo Duterte's infrastructure push.

Republic Cement is the conglomerate's "proxy" in the government effort, while it prepares to bid for public private partnership projects, Aboitiz Equity Ventures President Erramon Aboitiz said.

"The more projects are built in the Philippines, the better for our business," Aboitiz told ANC's "The Boss."

"The main event is to participate in actual infrastructure projects," he added.

After failing to win previous PPP projects, Aboitiz said the group was looking into the development of regional airports.

"We continue to be optimistic that there will be opportunities. We're quite excited about those projects," he said.

Aboitiz said the company was set to begin this year construction of a bulk water project in Davao, the President's hometown. It is the largest privately owned facility of its kind in the country.

Duterte is planning to spend up to P8 trillion throughout his six-year term for new roads, bridges, railways and airports to rebuild a creaking infrastructure that has held back economic growth.