The Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) entered into a partnership with the Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center) on April 29, 2021 through a virtual ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for Institutional Cooperation. The objective is to formalize inter-institution collaboration to expand the knowledge on public-private partnership (PPP) through education, research, and training.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Dr. John Paul Vergara, Vice President of the Ateneo Professional Schools and Dr. Ferdinand A. Pecson, Executive Director of the PPP Center. Acting as witnesses were Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government and Mr. Eleazar E. Ricote, Deputy Executive Director of the PPP Center.

Vice President Vergara provided his perspective on the Memorandum of Understanding, in which he emphasized that such partnership is of national significance as the Philippine government embarks on laying the foundations of a post-pandemic economic recovery through PPPs and infrastructure development. He likewise underscored the need to document and communicate best practices and lessons from actual experiences in the design and implementation of PPP projects.

Executive Director Pecson explained the role of various infrastructure projects in inclusive economic growth, thus highlighting the need to build the capacities of both the public and private sector. He further stated that this partnership is relevant due to its potential in generating knowledge on the PPPs programs and their application so that future PPP infrastructure projects can be Filipino-oriented, sustainable, cost-efficient, and of high quality.

Also present in the event are Dr. Philamer C. Torio, Senior Fellow and Faculty of Ateneo School of Government, and members of the PPP Center, namely: Deputy Executive Director Atty. Mia Mary G. Sebastian; Feroisa Francisca T. Concordia, Director IV, Capacity Building, Knowledge Management Service; Jomel Anthony V. Gutierrez, Director III, Capacity Building, Knowledge Management Service; Dionne Marga M. Larin, Training Specialist V, Capacity Building Division; Atty. Frances Yani P. Domingo, Director IV, Legal Service; Atty. Al L. Soriano, Attorney IV, Legal Service; and Jeffrey I. Manalo, Director IV, Policy Formulation, Project Evaluation and Monitoring Service.

The MOU signing ceremony can be streamed on the Ateneo School of Government Facebook page.