Public-private partnerships eyed to boost PH growth
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives are poised to fasttrack the country’s transport projects with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) finalizing a list of 3,700 priority infrastructure projects worth P15 trillion to be submitted for approval to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Of the 3,700 proposed projects, 98 will be PPP projects worth P3.044 trillion. This consists of 73 national projects worth P2.914 trillion and 25 other local projects worth P130 billion.
Nearly half or 45 of the PPP projects are related to transport, while 14 are road projects, and 11 involve property development. Other PPP projects include those on water and sanitation, health, information and communications technology, tourism, solid waste management, and energy.
As of December 2022, the government has awarded 210 projects with a total estimated cost of P2.335 trillion.
Apart from the aforementioned projects, some of the most notable ones which are still under conceptualization include the Air Traffic Services (ATS)-Air Navigation Services (ANS) Project, Bike Sharing Program, Davao City Bypass Road, MRT Line 4, and Vaccine Self-Reliance Project (VSRP).
Projects under development include the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CCLEX) Phase I, Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway, Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake Ferry Project, NCR EDSA Busway Project, and North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) East Phase II.
Among the unsolicited proposals for initial evaluation by an implementing agency are the Boracay Bridge Project, C5-MRT 10 Project, MRT 11 Project, PhilHealth IT Transformation Project, Siargao (Sayak) Airport, and the New Bohol International Airport Project.*
FIRST OF MANY PPP PROJECTS TO COME
Just three weeks ago, the Chief Executive approved the first PPP project under his administration: the UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Cancer Center with a P6-billion budget for a planned 300-bed capacity hospital. With an area of 3,000 square meters, it will have 15 to 20 floors, 350 parking spaces, a 1,000-square meter commercial space, and an area for three linear accelerator bunkers.
Located within the UP-PGH campus in Manila, the project will be solicited from the public through the submission of a bid and will be structured as a 30-year Build-Operate Transfer (BOT) arrangement under the BOT Law. The hospital will provide a full range of cancer treatments including radio oncology (radiotherapy), imaging, medical oncology, and support for the UP-PGH’s teaching and research activities.
The PPP Center is mandated to oversee contractual agreements between the government and private firms for financing, designing, implementing, and operating infrastructure facilities and services that are traditionally provided by the public sector.
It also has the mandate to facilitate the implementation of the country’s PPP Program and Projects by virtue of Executive Order No. 8 series of 2010 as amended by Executive Order No. 136 series of 2013. It currently serves as the central coordinating and monitoring agency for all PPP projects in the country.