The Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Urban Connect Project, are rolling out a series of seminars to enhance public service delivery through PPP initiatives in nine key cities in the country.
The seminar “Introduction to the PPP Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations” is part of a broader effort to equip local government units (LGUs) with the essential knowledge and skills needed to effectively implement and manage PPP projects. This seminar is part of PPP Center’s ongoing training sessions on the PPP Code, launched in May 2024.
In Iloilo City, the two-day hybrid seminar offered comprehensive sessions on the newly enacted Republic Act No. 11966, or the Public-Private Partnership Code of the Philippines.
City government representatives, along with invited officials from national government agencies such as the National Economic Development Authority and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, attended the training.
Participants also included officials from Tagbilaran and nearby LGUs in the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council, as well as representatives from Regions VI, VII, VIII, and IX, the private sector, and local universities and colleges. The seminar series will also be extended to other USAID’s Cities Development Initiative (CDI) partner cities in Luzon and Mindanao as part of the collaboration between PPP Center and Urban Connect.
The PPP Center signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Iloilo City Government the following day, represented by PPP Center Deputy Executive Director Jeffrey Manalo and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Under the MOA, the PPP Center commits to assisting the city by providing project advisory and technical assistance in various aspects of a PPP project, offering capacity building to its personnel, recommending policies and frameworks to facilitate PPPs, and assigning designated project teams for the city’s PPP projects.
USAID Urban Connect facilitated this signing, along with three other MOAs with General Santos, Zamboanga, and Tagbilaran.
The Philippine government has identified PPPs as a crucial strategy in its development plan for 2023-2028.
“We are as eager as you are in developing—and more importantly—implementing at the soonest possible time—successful local PPP projects that could serve as models for other LGUs and testament to the transformative impact of PPPs—properly prepared projects,” said Manalo in his message.
“The PPP Code of the Philippines represents a significant legislative development. Consequently, the establishment of a Memorandum of Agreement for cooperation and coordination with the PPP Center is not just a want but rather a necessity. This agreement will ensure PPPs are implemented effectively, aligning with the new legal framework to enhance infrastructure and public service delivery,” said Treñas.
PPPs play a vital role in helping Iloilo City achieve its goal of creating sustainable, advanced infrastructure to benefit the whole Ilonggo community.
