Public-Private Partnership Center

“We would definitely like to get more projects such as hospitals. We are interested in hospitals because of the fact that we have already been doing high-rise condominiums,” Louie B. Ferrer, Megawide Construction vice-president for marketing and chief information officer, told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview yesterday.On top of the Health department’s priority PPP list is the planned upgrade of the 700-bed Philippine Orthopedic Center in Quezon City, with 25 other regional hospitals expected to be redeveloped in the future, according to information posted on the PPP Center Web site.

So far, only conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), which already has investments in a number of hospitals nationwide, has revealed plans redevelop the state hospital, earlier reports said.

MPIC is the local arm of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., which partly owns Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

Mediaquest Holdings, Inc., a unit of the Beneficial Trust Fund of PLDT, has a minority stake in BusinessWorld.

“We still do not have specific locations, but if the hospitals will in Metro Manila, it would be easier for us because we have already have plants in the MoA (Mall of Asia) area and Taytay, Rizal. But if it’s provincial, we can also always set up a pocket plant,” Mr. Ferrer said.

Last September, the company had forged a consultancy agreement with Japan-based IHI Infrastructure Systems Co., Ltd., for the latter’s technical support ahead of Megawide Construction’s planned participation in PPPs this year, according to an earlierBusinessWorld report.

This, after the firm had already expressed interest in participating in similar auctions for constructing public school buildings.

Megawide Construction confirmed that it has finalized earlier-reported plans to bid for the government’s P10.4-billion PPP for School Infrastructure Project, joining 15 other interested firms.

“When the government released the bidding documents earlier this month, we bought right away. Right now, we’re studying the logistics and also the construction pacing of the planned school projects,” Mr. Ferrer said.

At present, the company holds an AAA construction license issued by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, making the firm also eligible to participate in big-ticket private infrastructure projects apart from PPPs.

Megawide Construction shares rose by 0.80% to close at P12.60 yesterday from P12.50 last Friday. — FJGDLF