Source: Manila Standard Today
TOKYO (via PLDT)—President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday said the Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway project will be awarded in December, the first of four public-private partnership projects scheduled to be bid this year.
He told Japanese and Filipino business leaders at the Tokyo Kaikan that he had also urged Japan to consider participating in the PPP projects through a hybrid model.
Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee chairman Tohru Tsuji said they would like to cooperate with the country through technology transfer and financing for the infrastructure projects under the PPP program.
The Daang Hari project aside, Mr. Aquino said three other projects were scheduled to be bid out before the end of the year were the vaccine self-sufficiency project, the construction of 10,000 classrooms, and the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway connector project.
Transport Secretary Manuel Roxas II said that under the hybrid model, the government could tap foreign official development assistance for the infrastructure projects. That would allow the government to tap low-cost ODA financing at 1 percent interest for 30 years.
The government would then bid out a separate concession agreement to private firms for the rolling stock, operations, and maintenance of the infrastructure projects.
Roxas said among the PPP projects that had been offered to Japan under the hybrid model were the Laguindingan and Puerto Princesa airports. Joyce Pangco Pañares
