The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide technical advisory services for the P8.5 billion premium wholesale market to be built in the Clark civil aviation complex.
This comes after the ADB and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center signed an agreement with Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) on Friday, July 12, to offer its services for the 62-hectare National Food Hub in the city.
"This is a huge step in this transaction advisory phase as it ensures technical expertise in the preparation, structuring, and procurement of the concessionaire for the National Food Hub Project,” CIAC President Arrey Perez said, noting that the project aims to replicate state-of-the-art agro-logistics system of food hubs in advanced Asian countries.
The National Food Hub project will develop, operate, and maintain a wholesale food hub serving the Clark Freeport Zone, New Clark City, Metro Manila, North, Central, and Southern Luzon.
“The Clark hub will serve as a comprehensive central solution for the distribution, storage, and processing of agricultural products, which will enhance the national government’s food security measures—a priority program of the Marcos administration,” Perez added.
Earlier this year, $450,000 was granted to the CIAC by the PPP Center’s revolving fund to support its pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, and other pre-investment activities.
The PPP Center then procured the services of the ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public-Private Partnership (OMDP) following the negotiated procurement process outlined in Republic Act 9184.
The OMDP assists developing economies in attracting greater private investment and fostering dynamic private-sector-led growth across Asia and the Pacific.
The ADB’s feasibility study and other pre-tender documents are expected to be completed by January 2025, while tender documents will be publicly released within the first quarter of next year.
Perez said the target schedule for the signing of the project concession agreement is set for January 2026.