The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) Committee of Republic Act No. 11966, or the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines, held an information and consultation session with local government units (LGUs) on February 7, 2024. The event was done in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and conducted online via Zoom and broadcast live on the PPP Center’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
PPP Center Assistant Secretary Jeffrey I. Manalo presented the major reforms introduced in the PPP Code, such as unifying fragmented legal frameworks on PPPs, streamlining the evaluation and approval process of national and local PPP projects, introducing frameworks and protocols in project monitoring, and strengthening enabling institutions for PPPs.
The public consultation underscored the PPP Code’s role in promoting autonomy for LGUs in implementing local PPP projects while ensuring alignment with national development plans.
Under the Code, it is the local Sanggunians who shall approve local PPP projects regardless of the project cost. Only in cases where there are proposed Government Undertakings using national government funds for local PPP projects shall such projects need to be submitted to the National Economic Development Authority Board-Investment Coordination Committee for approval, and upon review and endorsement by the respective Regional Development Councils.
Moreover, it was reiterated during the consultation that the PPP Code affirms LGUs to uphold principles of openness, fairness, transparency, and competitiveness in securing private investment for PPP projects. The policy of full public disclosure of all transactions involving public interest shall be implemented by the relevant authorities.
Assistant Secretary Manalo also discussed the PPP Code’s establishment of a Risk Management Fund for LGUs, managed by the PPP Center, subject to guidelines to be issued by the PPP Governing Board. Funding sources for such Fund may include the LGU budget and income derived from PPP projects.
“Thank you so much, PPP Center, for center-staging a platform that will necessitate the need to be heard, the need to consolidate and crystallize our discourses, as well as deliberations and inputs from our LGUs. So, we need the LGUs’ expertise, experiences, challenges, nuances, as well as your dynamics in the entire country, which will really help firm up and substantiate the IRR of the PPP Code”, Atty. Odilon L. Pasaraba, DILG Undersecretary, said.
Almost 800 registered participants attended the public consultation and provided input in the development of the IRR of the PPP Code.
“Thank you, DILG, for helping us gather everyone here. We are looking forward to your input and suggestions. On behalf of the IRR Committee, we will keep you posted on the developments of this IRR. We hope for everyone’s success in our PPP projects. Let’s work together to make this happen”, Assistant Secretary Manalo concluded.
The PPP Code of the Philippines, signed into law on December 5, 2023, and effective since December 23, 2023, mandates the IRR Committee to promulgate the IRR within 90 calendar days from the effectivity thereof, or by March 23, 2024.
