Opening Remarks of
Executive Director Cosette Canilao
Philippines Energy and Infrastructure Development Seminar
Hyatt Regency Hotel and Casino
February 21, 2014
-mention all VIPs-
Ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon!
Today marks the third year of a continued partnership between the Public-Private Partnership Center and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in collaborating to provide a seminar where ideas and lessons learned are exchanged.
Allow me, first and foremost, to welcome you all to this prestigious event!
This seminar provides a venue for fostering partnerships, between private and public, and networking for potential partners in the infrastructure business. It is our hope that everyone present here today will have a better appreciation and utilization of this opportunity.
The Philippines is truly at the height of pursuing infrastructure projects, both through PPPs and other modes of procurement. This afternoon’s session will be an opportunity to take stock of the experiences of our neighbors in Asia, especially Japan, in delivering infrastructure projects.
These fora and partnerships allow information transfer that will be beneficial for both the public and our private counterparts.
It is with great pride that a few years since the PPP Program was launched, initial gains on infrastructure development have come into fruition. So far, we have successfully awarded six (6) projects to the winning private proponents, and several more projects are targeted to advance in the next stages of the PPP project cycle.
Construction has started in a number of big-ticket projects and we expect to see the other projects lined up come to realization within this administration and the next.
The amendment of the BOT Law which will provide more streamlined processes for PPPs is now in the works and has been submitted to Congress. This is just one of the various initiatives that we are and we will be spearheading to promote, strengthen, and institutionalize public-private partnerships.
Indeed, the PPP Program has gone a long way, but these will not have been possible without the invaluable cooperation and support of our colleagues in government, members of the business community, and our development partners.
Specifically, I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize our continued partnership with JICA. Your support in providing technical assistance to agencies for the preparation of vital infrastructure projects, among others is a significant contribution to the Philippines’ PPP Program.
We have a long way to go, but given the processes in place and the support from all stakeholders, we are on our way to providing more high-quality projects for the benefit of the people.
We look forward to a stronger collaboration with our Japanese partners towards our shared goal of accelerating the country’s development.
Thank you very much and a pleasant day to all!
