Source: ABS-CBN News, 4 January 2012

 

MANILA, Philippines – To make up for its dismal performance last year—it bidded out only one project —the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center is scheduled to roll out P154.47 billion worth of projects in 2012, of which 16 will be implemented by various agencies.

The biggest is the P25-billion Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) New Water Supply, PPP Center Executive Director Cosette Canilao said in a presentation. The smallest will be the P900-million Vaccine Self-Sufficiency Program of the Department of Health (DOH).

Last year the PPP Center awarded the P1.96-billion Daang Hari-Slex Link Road to publicly listed conglomerate Ayala Corp. The original 2010 plan was to bid out 10 PPP projects.

“[The] challenges faced by the complex PPP Program include the following: policy enhancements, project selection, monitoring mechanisms [and] others [such as] perceived change in the government’s agenda [and] public perception on the ‘diminishing role of the public sector,’” a  document said, apparently to explain the failure to carry out the plan.

Sixteen of the projects will include the P20.18-billion Nlex-Slex Connector Road; P20-billion Balara Water Hub; P19.69-billion Cala Expressway (Cavite and Laguna Side); P11.3-billion LRT 2 East Extension; P10.4-billion PPP for School Infrastructure Project (Batch 1); P10.15-billion Mactan Terminal 2 Airport Development; and P8-billion New Bohol Airport.

Other projects are the P7.8-billion Laguindingan Airport Operations and Maintenance; P5.3-billion Cold Chain Systems Project; P5-billion modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center; P4.2-billion Puerto Princesa Airport; P1.8-billion Common Fare Collection System; P1.5-billion Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer of the Ambuklao Hydro Electric Power Turbines 4 and 5; and P1.25-billion Grains Central Project.

Earlier, Canilao said that even with a rough start, the center was in a good position to make PPPs happen for the Philippines. She said the center has not only launched the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) but also created templates for local government units to use for their own PPPs.

The PPP Center also identified the nine national and international consulting firms that will assist in the conduct of the pre-investment studies. These studies would be done before any bidding and would be funded through the PDMF, which is a P300-million fund to help in the development of PPP projects.

The nine transactional advisors for the PPPs include the Filipino consortium of KPMG whose lead firm is the Manabat Sanagustin & Co. CPAs; Dutch consortium led by Rebel Group International BV; Indian groups led by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. and another one led by ICRA Management Consulting Services Ltd.; and Canadian consortium led by CPCS Transcom Ltd.

Other accredited groups are the Singaporean consortium led by Pricewaterhouse Coopers Services Llp.; European consortium led by Hill International SA; and Australian groups separately led by Ernst & Young Australia Infrastructure Advisory and SMEC International Pty. Ltd.