Satisfied customers

It is always being impressed on the public that this administration has been doing its own countdown from day one of President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III. From the official Palace countdown, President Aquino has only 464 days remaining as of today before he steps down on June 30, 2016.

The Palace countdown seemed to be on top of the mind of President Aquino when he appeared yesterday before the 4th Annual Euromoney Philippines Investment Forum in Makati City. The President’s speech strongly indicated what he would likely report on his administration’s achievements when he delivers state of the nation address (SONA) in Congress this July 27.

This will be Mr. Aquino’s last and final SONA as Chief Executive as he prepares for transition into office of whoever would be elected as the country’s next President.

With still 15 months left of his term, President Aquino exudes excitement to turn over the reins of government, especially with a very satisfactory report card showing significant gains and improvements in key socio-economic sectors, infrastructure and business growth.

Before some 600 local and foreign businessmen, President Aquino presented yesterday his administration’s accomplishments in the economic front, including what he described as “record high” increase in foreign direct investments (FDIs) last year. 

According to a report submitted to him, the President cited official figures of as much as $6.2 billion worth of FDIs came into the Philippines in 2014 — 65.9 percent higher than recorded in 2013.

Unlike the so-called “hot money” invested in stocks market, these FDIs are fresh capital infusions into the Philippine economy to create new jobs, income, and savings.  

So this FDI growth should account largely for the 6.1 percent increase in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014. The President underscored this is “respectable” GDP growth that contributed much to the country’s stellar economic standing in Asia.

“Our administration remains hard at work so that we can maximize all opportunities available to us. I think many of you will agree with me when I say, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” the President bragged.

The President, however, sought to assuage fears and concerns of the business sector on the sufficiency of power supply as the country’s economy continues to grow this much. He cited about 48 power projects were “committed” to come on stream with a total of 4,693.8 megawatts (MW) expected between this year up to 2018.

 Out of these 48 power plants, the President said the Department of Energy (DOE) reported to him 21 will be from renewable energy. This in line, he stressed, with his administration’s goal to diversify the energy mix in the country and build a power supply from clean and reasonably priced source of electricity.

President Aquino also credited his administration’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program for picking up the slack in government spending for infrastructure. To date, according to him, nine PPP projects have been awarded; 16 are in the process of being bidded out; and more than 30 other projects are under various stages of development.

While Mr. Aquino sounded bullish about the PPPs, not all in the audience of businessmen obviously share the sentiments. After the President left the forum yesterday, some of them stood up to share their bad experiences with certain government agencies engaged in PPPs. 

It’s not too late for him to change his attitude to criticism. Perhaps, it’s about time President Aquino should try to hear the horror stories about certain government officials in charge of PPPs in their respective departments.

Take the case of PPP project at the Department of Health (DOH) on the construction of a Modernized Philippine Orthopedic Center (MPOC). Before President Aquino unceremoniously accepted the resignation of his former DOH Secretary Dr. Enrique Ona, the Megawide-World Citi Consortium won in a public bidding the P5.6-billion contract to modernize the facilities of the existing government-run Philippine Orthopedic Center in Quezon City. Under the contract, the consortium will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the MPOC for 25 years. 

The existing Orthopedic hospital, constructed in 1963, has 700 beds. Aside from outdated medical equipment, the present hospital does not even have its own CT Scan nor MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) badly needed for trauma cases, especially during emergencies.

Out of nine prospective bidders, the MPOC project was awarded to Megawide consortium in December, 2013. Under the winning bid, the Megawide consortium will infuse not only the requisite funds to put up a new MPOC with a state of the art center for orthopedic treatment and care of equal quality to all, whether paying or free/subsidized patients.

Megawide won the bidding fair and square and with nary a trace of hanky-panky under the professional leadership of Secretary Ona at the DOH. But when President Aquino replaced Ona with his fellow Liberal Party (LP) colleague, former Iloilo congresswoman Dra. Janet Garin, she stopped all contracts entered into by her predecessor “for review.” It’s not as if Garin is out of the loop at the decision-making process at the DOH since she was appointed in July 2013 as one of the undersecretaries of Ona.

The MPOC project is just one of the PPP projects that Megawide participated in. It had also earlier won the project for the construction of the new Cebu Mactan International Airport, the first terminal of which is due to be finished later this year ahead of schedule.

Megawide is also one of the contractors of the Department of Education’s school-building program. Megawide has delivered so far 70 percent of the 10,000 “typhoon-resilient” classrooms contracted to them and DepEd Sec. Bro. Armin Luistro is just one of their satisfied customers.

Is this how the Aquino administration rewards participants of PPP with satisfied customers?

*      *      *

Former President and now Mayor of Manila Joseph Estrada is the featured guest in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay today (Wednesday) at the Luneta Hotel in T.M. Kalaw St. We shall hear from Mayor Estrada whether he will run for re-election or make a return bid for the presidency, among other questions that will likely be fielded to him while in the hot seat at this week’s breakfast forum. Come and join us.