Top business leaders attend PPP investor conference for school infra projects

MANILA, Philippines - More than 300 business executives and officials from the government, foreign embassies, and multilateral institutions, led by Education Secretary Armin Luistro and Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, attended the Investor Conference on the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) recently at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel hosted by the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines (PPP Center), the Department of Education and SGV& Co/Ernst & Young Philippines.

The PSIP aims to address both the current classroom backlog and future classroom requirements by having the private sector finance, design, build, and maintain some 10,000 classrooms by July 2013.

Opening the conference were Public-Private Partnership Center Director Ronnie Corpus and SGV/Ernst & Young Philippines chairman and managing partner Cirilo Vic Noel who talked about the importance of the PSIP in the Philippines, saying, “The educational needs of our country’s children are so great that it would require the concerted efforts of both government and the business community to truly make a difference.” DepEd Secretary Luistro and DPWH Secretary Singson spoke on behalf of the government.

The Investor Conference consisted of four segments. DepEd Undersecretary Francisco Varela presented the Project Brief, ACCRALAW managing partner Atty. Eusebio Tan presented the Bidding Process and Timetable, architect Armando Alli presented the Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications of the Project, and Ernst & Young partners Bill Banks and Atty. Veronica Santos presented the Repayment Schemes and Incentives. A lively one-hour open forum followed the presentations. Undersecretary John Sevilla and Director Edita Tan of the Department of Finance and Undersecretary Mario Relampagos of the Department of Budget and Management joined Secretary Luistro and the speakers in responding to questions from prospective bidders and funders for the Project.

The PPP is collaboration of public and private entities in the context of infrastructure and other services. Recognizing the private sector’s role as the main engine for national growth and development, the Philippine Government provides considerable incentives to private resources for financing the construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure and development projects normally undertaken by the Government.