To sustain productive collaboration and renew regular dialogue, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines convened a formal meeting engagement with international partners at the PPP Center’s Board Room in Quezon City on March 24, 2026.

The meeting aimed to recognize the valuable contributions of development partners to the Philippine PPP Program, provide updates on the country’s PPP policy and institutional framework following the enactment of the PPP Code of the Philippines, the expanded mandate of the PPP Center, and enable partners to better align their initiatives with the Center’s programs and priorities.

Physically and virtually present during the event were representatives from multilateral development banks, such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank; trade officers and government representatives from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States; development offices like the Expertise France, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan International Cooperation Centre, United Nations Office for Project Services, and the United Nations Development Programme; and other international academe and business partners like Eight Japan Engineering Consultants Inc., Georgetown University Law Center – Commercial Law Development Program, International Finance Corporation, and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Assistant Secretary and Deputy Executive Director Eleazar E. Ricote, moderated the meeting and thanked the partners for helping the PPP Center in fulfilling its mandate as the oversight agency of the Philippine PPP Program. He also shared the status of different partnerships of the Center and expressed deep gratitude to the assistance extended by the development partners from capacity building activities, development and learning opportunities, education grants and scholarships, to guidance and knowledge sharing of local and international good practices in PPP.

On the other hand, Undersecretary and PPP Center Executive Director Rizza Blanco-Latorre for her opening remarks gave thanks to the development partners for their valuable support and contributions to the PPP Center over the years.

“Given these changes and the ever-evolving PPP landscape in our country, we have decided to host this meeting so that the PPP Center, along with its development partners, can touch base on current activities and programs, align on various ongoing and upcoming PPP-relevant projects, and identify additional areas for collaboration or support,” Usec. Blanco-Latorre said.

Atty. Cyris Ann A. Ng-Santiago of the Center’s Capacity Building and Knowledge Management Service shared the developments to the Philippine PPP Program and the PPP Center’s mandate following the passage of the PPP Code of the Philippines, emphasizing its effective institutionalization of the good PPP practices in the country.

Project Development Service Director IV, Atty. John Dominic Z. Zafe shared the current numbers of projects in the pipeline and under implementation and on the pipeline. He also shared key developments in regional airport, social infrastructure, water supply, and information and communication technology PPP projects.

During the open forum, development partners raised questions on how the Center promotes competition for unsolicited proposals, and concerns regarding taxation of the private entities involved in the unsolicited PPP projects, among others.

PPP Center officials and development partners also exchanged their thoughts on the Risk Management Fund guidelines currently under development, engagement and capacitation of local government Unit, bankability of PPP projects, contract disputes, integrity of concession agreements, supporting the acceleration of green and climate financing in the country; and standardization of vital contract clauses.

Given this engagement, the PPP Center reaffirmed its commitment to sustained collaboration, encouraged continued and expanded partner participation, and strengthened partnerships in support of its role as the sole authority for PPP projects in the Philippines.

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