248 PPP deals in the pipeline
(From left ): Mary Jade Roxas-Divinagracia, Deals and Corporate Finance managing partner at Isla Lipana and Co./PwC Philippines; Atty. John Dominic Zafe, director of Project Development Services at PPPC; Lachy Haynes, Energy Transition partner at PwC Australia; Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol of the Department of Energy; Bjorn Rosenberger, and head of Offshore Wind at Triconti ECC Renewables Corporation, during a fireside chat at the PwC Philippines’ 4th Philippine Infrastructure Summit at the Makati Shangri-La.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of PwC
An official of the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines (PPPC) said a total of 248 infrastructure projects are in the pipeline, apart from the more than P3-trillion worth projects that are already in the implementation stage.
Undersecretary Rizza Blanco-Latorre, PPPC executive director, boasted that the country’s PPP Code, signed into law in 2023, is one of the most robust in Southeast Asia.
The landmark law seeks to unify fragmented legal frameworks to streamline infrastructure projects.
“From development, approval, to implementation, the agreements are honored. We don’t want the risks to materialize. We want them to be identified at the onset so they can be addressed initially,” she expressed at the recently concluded PwC Philippines’ 4th Philippine Infrastructure Summit at the Makati Shangri-La.
Latorre said that 287 projects amounting to P3.57 trillion are currently under implementation, with 248 projects more, mostly from the transportation sector, in the pipeline.
Key projects processed under the PPP Code include the operations and maintenance of the North-South Commuter Railway, which shall traverse Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, all the way to Laguna, and several school infrastructure projects of the Department of Education.
Meanwhile, private-sector infrastructure experts called for more predictability and institutional consistency, and clarity in restoring public trust in the country’s construction industry.
With the theme, “Philippine Infrastructure in Transition: Integrity, Innovation, and Investment for a Resilient Philippines,” this year’s Infrastructure Summit featured presentations and panel discussions on key thematic areas, namely, strengthening governance and public trust in infrastructure, navigating new regulations and PPP frameworks, broadening the PPP horizon, and renewable energy and climate-aligned infrastructure.
Isla Lipana & Co./PwC Philippines chairman and senior partner Roderick Danao stressed that resilient physical and digital infrastructure is essential for inclusive economic growth.