PPP Center bags int’l award

MANILA, Philippines - The Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines bagged the Best Central/Regional Government PPP Promoter award during the Partnerships Award 2014 held at Parks Plaza Westminster Bridge in London last Friday.

The PPP Center of the Philippines edged seven other nominees including the Agency for Public-Private Partnership, Republic of Croatia; the California Department of Transportation; the Maryland Department of Transportation Office of the Lieutenant Governor; the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority; the Scottish Futures Trust; the Texas Department of Transportation; and the Unidade Central de PPP of the Government of Minas Gerais, Brasil

The ‘Best Central/Regional Government PPP Promoter category is a recognition given to central or regional government departments, or PPP units that have helped promote partnerships and establish healthy deal flow or successfully managed operational projects in 2013.

Industry professionals from both the public and private sectors judged the entries.

The PPP Center was the lone Asian PPP unit to be shortlisted to the internationally acclaimed awards.

 â€œWe are very happy with the shortlisting of the Philippine PPP Center to the Partnerships Awards 2014. We are now reaping the fruits of our efforts to create a healthy deal flow and conducive PPP environment in the country. And this is being recognized by the global PPP community,” PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao earlier said in a statement.

In 2013, the Department of Education’s PPP for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) Phase I was shortlisted for the Best Pathfinder Project category, which is given to public infrastructure projects that demonstrate the best ‘first of its kind’ in a sector or region.

Partnerships Bulletin and PPP Bulletin International are UK-based organizations involved in magazine publication and websites that provide in-depth updates on partnership workings between the public and private sector.

Both are sources of information on international PPPs particularly on legislation, regulation, working procedure and market potential.

With more than 15 years of exposure in the industry, they have been recognized as credible institutions in terms of private finance initiative (PFI) and PPPs.

The Aquino administration has lined up over 50 PPP projects, more than half of which are transportation infrastructure projects under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

The government has so far awarded seven PPP projects worth close to P68 billion including the Daang Hari – South Luzon expressway link road (P2 billion), PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase 1 (P8.86 billion), the PSIP-2 (P16.28 billion), the modernization project for the Philippine Orthopedic Center (P5.98 billion), the Ninoy Aquino International Airport expressway (P15.52 billion), the automated fare collection system project (P1.72 billion), and the Mactan – Cebu international airport expansion project (P17.5 billion).

The government expects to award at least 15 major infrastructure projects worth over P222 billion including the P64.9-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite extension project, the P35.4-billion Cavite – Laguna expressway project, the P29.83-billion Bulacan bulk water supply project, and the P15.92-billion operation and maintenance (O&M) of the Laguindingan Airport.