Despite the failure of the 16th Congress to pass the proposed Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act, the incoming Duterte administration is keen on retaining the PPP Center.
In an interview, incoming National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Ernesto M. Pernia told the BusinessMirror that the new administration has no plans of abolishing the PPP Center.
The PPP Center was created through Executive Order (EO) 8 by outgoing President Aquino in September 2010. The EO renamed the Build-Operate-Transfer Center as the PPP Center and transferred it from being an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry to the Neda.
“No, there are no plans to abolish [the PPP Center],” Pernia said. “[Regarding possible PPP projects]we haven’t talked about those yet.”
The PPP Center serves as the main driver of the Aquino administration’s PPP Program—an initiative aimed at accelerating infrastructure to sustain economic growth.
“It champions the country’s PPP Program by enabling implementing agencies in all aspects of project preparation; managing of the Project Development and Monitoring Facility; providing projects advisory and facilitation services; monitoring and empowering agencies through various capacity-building activities,” according to the PPP Center’s web site.
The PPP Center provides technical assistance to national government agencies, government-owned and -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, state universities and colleges, and local government units, as well as to the private sector, to help develop and implement critical infrastructure and other development projects.
The BusinessMirror chanced upon Pernia after his meeting with current Neda Director General Emmanuel F. Esguerra to “familiarize” him about the agency’s work in the past six years.
Apart from the PPP Center, Pernia said the Duterte administration is open to using another Aquino administration first—Neda’s “Ambisyon Natin 2040.”
“Ambisyon Natin 2040” is the long-term visioning project of the Neda. It articulated the long-term aspirations of Filipinos, and will serve to frame future development plans.
Government data showed that 79.2 percent of Filipinos only want a simple and comfortable life in 25 years. Only 3.9 percent of Filipinos wanted to live the life of the rich. The Neda is the country’s socioeconomic planning agency. The highest policy-making body of the Neda is the Neda Board, which is chaired by the president.