InterAksyon, 19 December 2013

By Darwin G. Amojelar

 

MANILA – With half of its term over, the Aquino administration is unlikely to complete by 2016 all projects it has lined up under its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program, the agency tasked with shepherding these ventures has conceded.

“What we want to leave by end of 2016 is a robust line of projects,” PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao told reporters in a briefing today.

“We want to have at least 50 projects in the pipeline that we are rolling out in the next few years and we are working on having at least 15 PPP contracts signed and seven projects completed and at least 10 infrastructure facilities turned over to the private sector for operation and maintenance (O&M) by 2016,” Canilao said.

“That’s our working target by 2016, which we think is achievable. We now have a very good pipeline projects that we can market,” she added.

Since launching its PPP Program in 2010, the Aquino administration has awarded the following five projects:

  • P2.01 billion Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road;
  • P15.52 billion NAIA Expressway;
  • P16.42 billion PPP for School Infrastructure Phase 1;
  • P8.80 billion PPP for School Infrastructure Phase 2; and
  • P5.69 billion Modernization of Philippine Orthopedic Center.

The PPP Program had suffered delays, with the government pushing back timetables because these were found to be financially unviable.

Canilao said the PPP Center’s accomplishments for 2013 were the result of the agency’s hard work of laying the foundation.

“We did a lot of mechanism and foundation building and policy, the non-sexy stuff. [The bidding] process is really open and transparent,” she said.

Jose Emmanuel P. Reverente, PPP Center deputy executive director said, “What you’re seeing really now is the projects that are ready to face the private sector, not only delivering a higher service, but also be financially viable project to our local and foreign investors.”

“We have already seven projects that have been bid out and more to come until 2016,” he said.

The government is banking on the PPP projects to plug the country’s infrastructure gap and create jobs in the process.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) had said the PPP initiative would require up to P739.78 billion in investments through 2016 to boost the economy and the country’s investment rate.

Under its medium-term development plan, the government expects the economy to grow between 7-8 percent through 2016. The Aquino administration also aims to raise its investment rate to 18 percent of gross domestic product by the end of its term from 14 percent at present.

 

Below are the 15 PPP contracts that should have been awarded by 2016:

  • Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road;
  • PPP for School Infrastructure Phase 1;
  • NAIA Expressway Phase 2;
  • PPP for School Infrastructure Phase 2;
  • Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center;
  • Automatic Fare Collection System;
  • Mactan Cebu International Airport New Passenger Terminal Building;
  • Cavite-Laguna Expressway;
  • LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension and O&M;
  • Integrated Transport System;
  • Bulacan Bulk Water Supply;
  • Enhanced O&M of the New Bohol (Panglao) Airport;
  • Establishment of Cold Chain Systems covering strategic areas in the Philippines;
  • O&M of Laguidingan Airport; and
  • O&M of LRT Line 2.

 

Here are the seven projects that should have been completed by 2016:

  • Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road;
  • PPP for School Infrastructure Phase 1;
  • NAIA Expressway Phase 2;
  • PPP for School Infrastructure Phase 2;
  • Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center;
  • Automatic Fare Collection System; and
  • Integrated Transport System.

 

Here are the 10 infrastructure projects handed over to the private sector for O&M are as follows:

  • Dang Hari-SLEX Link Road;
  • NAIA Expressway Phase 2;
  • Cavite-Laguna Expressway;
  • LRT Line I  Cavite Extension;
  • Mactan Cebu International Airport;
  • LRT Line 2;
  • Integrated Transport System;
  • Laguindingan Airport;
  • Automated Fare Collection System; and
  • New Bohol (Panglao) Airport.