DESPITE the pandemic, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center has managed to grow its pipeline of projects in 2020, with total cost of various infrastructure projects—both solicited and unsolicited—reaching a whopping P8.448 trillion.
The agency said the project now boasts 233 projects, of which 176 are under implementation. Included in the
pipeline are solicited projects such as the Mariveles Mental Wellness Center, Philippine Travel Center Complex, Metro Cebu Expressway, Bicol Medical Center (BMC) Medical Arts Building and Upgrading of Health Services, and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) sa Makati Property Redevelopment.
Also included are new unsolicited proposals such as the Operation & Maintenance of Francisco B. Reyes Airport and the New Busuanga Airport, New Metro Manila Food and Transport Hub, Tuguegarao City Septage Management, Iloilo Commercial Port Complex and Dumangas Port, the Davao Sasa Port Modernization, and the Development, Operations and Maintenance of General Santos Port.
“These additional projects are currently in various stages of development, evaluation, and approval,” the PPP Center said. “We will continue to seek out more efficient ways to deliver our mandate and provide technical assistance to implementing agencies (IAs) as they pursue PPPs both in traditional sectors—transportation and water supply —and emerging sectors—health, IT, solid waste management and climate resiliency sectors.”
Aside from providing Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) and providing assistance to implementing agencies for unsolicited proposals, the PPP Center has also taken the program to the local government level.
Through its Local PPP Strategy, the PPP Center is empowering local IAs, such as local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), water districts, and special economic zones, to implement infrastructure development projects to benefit their stakeholders.
There are currently 18 local PPP projects in the pipeline, 12 solicited and six unsolicited.
“These include bulk water supply projects, solid waste management facilities, IT parks, transport, and tourism projects. The Center also developed a framework for appraising draft LGU PPP codes. It serves as a guide for LGUs in crafting their own PPP code, while the PDMF has a specific panel of consulting firms for PPP projects of Local Implementing Entities in support of the Local PPP Strategy,” the PPP Center said.
It highlighted its initiative in providing “capacity building support,” which still continued despite the lockdowns brought about by the pandemic. The center conducted a total of 21 online capacity building activities with 596 participants on different PPP topics, along with five online workshops on developing project concept notes.
“The PPP Center will continue to provide its technical assistance to IAs and build a viable pipeline of PPP projects for 2021. This effort is in collaboration with the private sector as a committed partner working towards the country’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and rebuilding the lives of the Filipino people,” the PPP Center said.
By: Lorenz S. Marasigan
