July 11, 2012, BusinessWorld
THE GOVERNMENT has given the green light for three more priority projects, two of which are on the official list of public-private partnership (PPP) ventures, to proceed to the feasibility study stage, PPP Center officials said yesterday.
The two projects on the official PPP list are the Integrated Transport System (ITS) to be implemented by the Transportation department and the P25-billion New Centennial Water Source Project (NCWS) of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
A third project — the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project (BBWSP) which will also be implemented by MWSS — has been allowed to proceed to this stage, which involves tapping the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF).
While this venture is not on the official list on the PPP Center’s Web site, officials clarified that projects can be added and, hence, will be considered part of this flagship program.
“The board approved PDMF support for the New Centennial Water and Bulacan water supply [project];” PPP Center Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao said in a text message yesterday.
The ITS was approved earlier in April, Rina P. Alzate, director of the PPP Center’s PDMF Service, said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Managed by the PPP Center, the PDMF is a revolving fund that supports feasibility studies and project preparation requirements.
The ITS project, which does not yet have an indicative cost, involves establishment of intermodal terminals that will connect Metro Manila to Northern Luzon, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite.
The NCWS, on the other hand, entails construction of a dam, a water treatment plant and a pipeline to deliver additional water to support Metro Manila’s growing population.
BBWSP also involves construction of a water treatment plant, a water reservoir and pumping stations to supply potable water to municipalities of Bulacan.
There are 12 other PPP projects that had earlier been approved to tap the PDMF, namely the:
• P1.8-billion Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Laguindingan Airport;
• P8-billion New Bohol (Panglao) Airport;
• P1.8-billion Automatic Fare Collection System;
• P10.15-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport Passenger Terminal Building;
• Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Demonstration Poject;
• P1.6-billion O&M of Angat Hydro-Electric Power Plant Turbines 4 and 5;
• P20-billion Balara Water Hub;
• P1.25-billion Grains Central Project;
• P5.3-billion Establishment of Cold Chain Systems Covering Strategic Areas in the Philippines;
• O&M of Light Rail Transit Line (LRT) 2;
• O&M of Puerto Princesa Airport; and
• Skyway Stage 3.
Of the 22 priority PPP projects the Aquino administration has formally lined up, only Ayala Corporation’s P1.96-billion Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway Link Road has been awarded.
Besides this, only two other projects on the PPP Center’s list have been marked “ready for bidding”, namely the: P59.2-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension and O&M involving construction of a 11.7 kilometer stretch from the line’s Baclaran Terminal to Niyog Station in Bacoor, Cavite; and P10.04-billion PPP for School Infrastructure Project entailing the design, financing and construction of about 9, 300 one-storey and two-storey classrooms, including furniture and fixtures, in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon and the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon area.
Ms. Alzate clarified that the list on the PPP Web site can still change, as new projects may be approved by the PDMF Board this year. “These are priority projects, but at some point there can be changes on this list;” she said.
