With the aim of bringing the PPP Center closer to implementing agencies across the regions, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center held the 4th National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office (NRO) Annual PPP Congress on October 18-20, 2022 at the B Hotel in Quezon City.

PPP Center Executive Director Cynthia C. Hernandez highlighted the importance of this congress in strengthening the partnership between the PPP Center and NROs in providing PPP-related capacity building and technical assistance to implementing agencies in the regions.

“The Annual Congress shall continue to serve as a venue to strengthen linkages with NROs. We can provide regular updates on the Center’s initiatives and gather feedback from them. This will allow us to be more responsive to the needs of local implementing agencies,” Hernandez said.

Among the updates the PPP Center shared include: an overview of the approved amendments to the Revised 2022 Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Build-Operate-Transfer Law; the Project Development and Monitoring Facility support for local PPPs; updates on the local pipeline of PPP projects and the Center’s Risk Resiliency Program; local PPP project monitoring updates; the latest knowledge products; capacity building activities; and an introduction to the proposed PPP Center Client Screening Tool for Implementing Agencies.

The participating NROs were also given an opportunity to share regional updates and development priorities, planned activities and PPP initiatives for the upcoming year, and provide initial feedback to the client screening tool presented by the PPP Center, experiences assisting local IAs and proposed collaboration areas with the PPP center, and possible assistance in the review and crafting of LGU PPP/JV Codes.

The congress is part of the Center’s efforts to highlight the role of NROs, not just as information hubs on PPPs, but also as stewards of regional development through the screening and initial processing of potential PPP projects.
Thirteen NROs participated in the workshop that the PPP Center facilitated to capture updates on regional development priorities and each NRO’s planned initiatives for possible PPPs in their respective regions.

NEDA Assistant Secretary for Regional Development Group Greg L. Pineda thanked the PPP Center for its continuous support to the NROs through the PPP Knowledge Corners in the delivery of technical assistance in the development of PPP infrastructure projects.

This is the first in-person Congress to be held under the new normal since the Memorandum of Agreement between the NEDA, and the PPP Center was signed in January 29, 2018.

The establishment of PPP Knowledge Corners under the 15 NROs across the Philippines aims to bring closer the provision of PPP-related assistance to the local implementing agencies such as local government units, water districts, and state universities and colleges.