Private sector partners in gov’t infra projects sought

Under the 2017-2022 Public Investment Program, the NEDA has identified some 4,490 infrastructure programs and projects, bulk of which are located in the regions. (Photo by Dan/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

MANILA — The government expects all regions to submit their endorsed list of projects so it can be determined which among them may be pursued through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, as the country opens up to private sector participation in infrastructure projects.

Adoracion Navarro, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary for Regional Development, said the NEDA Regional Development Offices target to come up with PPP projects which the private sector “might find these very attractive.”

Navarro cited a tentative list of potential PPP projects submitted for Davao region, including possible monorail intercity project, the Davao airport project, Mati City agri-fishery center, development of Tagum City aquaculture complex, and establishment of cacao processing plant.

“That’s a sample of only one region and inputs are coming in. We hope to come up with a list for all the regions and make this available for the private sector,” she told the media on Thursday.

Navarro encouraged the business sector to look at the projects, which she believes has knowledge in the viability of potential PPP projects.

“The list that we will be able to come up probably are not really completely potential PPP projects. We have to subject them to an assessment of the private sector,” she added.

Under the 2017-2022 Public Investment Program, the NEDA has identified some 4,490 infrastructure programs and projects, bulk of which are located in the regions.