Manila to roll out 5 PPP projects through September

By: Christine Ubalde, InterAksyon.com
May 2, 2012 2:46 PM

InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS

MANILA, Philippines - Five public-private partnership (PPP) projects are ready for rollout through the third quarter of the year, according to the PPP Center.

On the sidelines of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors, Cosette Canilao, PPP Center executive director, identified the five projects thus:

Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center;
New Bohol (Panglao) Airport;
Automatic Fare Collection System;
Light Rail Transit Line 1 Extension; and
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway.

Canilao said six bidders have pre-qualified for another PPP project that involves building 9,300 classrooms.

These six firms are BF Corp.-Riverbanks Development Corp. Consortium; Citicore Holdings Investment Inc.-Megawide Construction Corp.; D.M. Consunji Inc; Makati Development Corp.-First Balfour Inc.; D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Inc.-Datem Inc.; and Makati Development Corp.-DDT Konstract Inc.

Canilao said the PPP Center has added eight transaction advisers to its existing stable of nine.

Transactional advisers help package PPP projects to make them more attractive to investors and to ensure that project risks are shared by the government and the private investor.

"Yes, we have tapped eight transactional advisors on top of the nine that we already have. The new transactional advisors are also composed of local and international firms. We will disclose the names soon," Canilao said.

The existing transactional advisers include KPMG, Rebel Group International BV, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd., ICRA Management Consulting Services Ltd., CPCS Transcom Ltd., Pricewaterhouse Coopers Services LLP, Hill International SA, Ernst & Young Australia Infrastructure Advisory, and SMEC International Pty Ltd.

Neeraj Jain, ADB Philippine country director, earlier said the PPP Center's Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) would gain an additional $18.5 million.

The PDMF funds the pre-feasibility for PPP projects.

InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS