6 PPP projects up for NEDA OK

MANILA, Philippines - Six projects worth of P210 billion are up for approval today at the meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.

In a briefing yesterday, Public-Private Partnership Center executive director Cosette Canilao said the three PPP projects – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Development Project, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 4 and LRT Line 6 –are part of the agenda of the NEDA Board.

Canilao said the NEDA Board is also set to meet to approve the confirmation of some amendments to existing projects including the P122.8-billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike project.

The P74.56 billion NAIA Development project is expected to transform the country’s main gateway into a world-class modern airport facility.

Under the project, the private partner will be responsible for the upgrade of the existing terminals of NAIA, increase the airport’s capacity and handle the facility’s operations and maintenance.

The P50.15 billion LRT Line 4 project, on the other hand, involves the financing, design, construction, operations and maintenance of an 11-kilometer rail that will run from SM City Taytay to the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and EDSA.

The P64 billion LRT Line 6 involves a proposed 19-km railway from Niyog, Bacoor (the terminus of the LRT 1 CAVEX extension) to Dasmariñas City.

Transport Secretary Joseph Abaya said other projects up for approval in today’s meeting that are not being procured under the PPP program but through foreign assistance are the P3.5 billion redesign of the Naga Airport, the P4.9 billion Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit project and the P13 billion Clark International Airport new passenger terminal building.

A study conducted by the Asian Development Bank estimates the country’s infrastructure requirements are estimated at $127 billion from 2010 to 2020.

“The $127 billion will be filled with new infrastructure projects through PPP, others through government funding and others through official development assistance,” Canilao said.

The government has so far awarded $4.2 billion worth of projects under the PPP since the program’s launch in 2010.

Canilao said an estimated $24 billion worth of PPP projects are currently in the pipeline and the government intends to develop the same amount in the next five years to be able to contribute 30 to 40 percent of the infrastructure requirements.