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Marcos privatization drive off to slow start, reaching just 1% of target

Published May 2, 2025 03:10 pm

The national government had raised a total of ₱321 million in the first three months of 2025, barely making up one percent of its ₱101-billion privatization target for the year.

According to the latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), bulk or 92.5 percent of privatization income during the January-to-March period came from other earnings, not from the sale of government-owned idle assets.

Of the three months, the government earned the largest in March, raking ₱302 million into the national treasury.

This month, the Privatization Management Office (PMO), an attached agency of the Department of Finance (DOF), is eyeing to dispose of another 14 assets of the government, reaching a combined amount of ₱83.6 million. Offers to buy will be accepted until May 14 for assets located in Misamis Oriental and Cagayan De Oro City.

This is in addition to the PMO’s announcement of negotiated sales of several properties on an “as-is, where-is” basis, including a 5,000-sqm lot in Valenzuela City priced at ₱90 million, a 1.7 million-sqm property in Macabebe, Pampanga for ₱68 million, a 556.63-sqm lot in Las Piñas City for ₱12.7 million, and a property in Canlubang, Laguna, with a base price of ₱6 million.

The deadline to submit offers for this initial list is May 10, earlier than the additional 14 assets.

The office’s latest update showed that the largest government property up for public bidding is a 7,760-sqm lot in Brgy. Macasandig, Cagayan De Oro City, priced at ₱28.7 million. Another 2,155-sqm lot in the same area is being sold for at least ₱14.2 million, while nine other properties in the city have a combined value of ₱19.5 million.

Two lots in Misamis Oriental will be sold at a collective value of ₱6.2 million. Meanwhile, the lone 1,000 square-meter (sqm) asset in Baguio City is offered for public auction until May 29. Its base price stands at ₱15 million.

Asked whether the PMO remains confident of achieving the ₱101-billion target for this year or if it now considers downscaling its privatization goal, the Manila Bulletin, on May 2, has received no answer from DOF Undersecretary Catherine L. Fong.

There was also no answer as to how many offers, especially for attractive assets, the PMO had received after the first unsolicited offer on March 31. The 8,288-sqm lot in Brgy. Magsaysay Norte, Cabanatuan City—which was not sold in April—was offered at a base price of over ₱58 million.Earlier in April, the PMO said that the 51 properties it had eyed to sell earlier this month would now be disposed of through negotiated sales. It came after zero buyers submitted offers to purchase the properties.

Chief Privatization Officer Maan Vanessa L. Doctor had said the government would now advertise all assets for negotiated sale, allowing interested buyers to submit purchase offers.

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