PPP projects memo to greatly benefit LGUs, says Abra solon
At A Glance
- Rep. JB Bernos welcomes the planned joint memorandum circular on PPP projects, saying it would give local governments crucial guidance and support for development initiatives.
- The PPP Center and DILG are set to issue the guidelines in the second half of the year, streamlining LGU-led projects under the PPP Code and empowering local councils with approval authority.
- Bernos says the move would boost housing, healthcare, markets, terminals, and agriculture, noting that 64 LGU-led projects are already in the P3.13-trillion PPP pipeline.
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Abra lone district Rep. JB Bernos has described as a major boon the planned memorandum for guidance on public-private partnerships (PPP] for development projects.
In a statement Thursday, May 28, Bernos, a member of the House Committees on Local Government and on Rural Development, said such guidance would provide “much-needed help” to the country's local government units (LGU).
“PPP projects are a game-changer for LGUs because our development projects need not be stymied by the lack of funding anymore," noted Bernos.
"So the impending issuance of guidelines for how we can properly embark on PPP projects would provide much-needed help especially for LGUs that lack technical expertise,” the Ilocano said.
The PPP Center recently announced that it is set to release a joint memorandum circular with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which will serve as an implementation guide for LGUs, particularly for healthcare projects.
The memorandum is targeted for issuance in the early second half of this year, the center said.
According to PPP Center Undersecretary and Executive Director Rizza Blanco-Latorre, the PPP Code streamlined the processing of PPP projects for LGUs, empowering Sanggunians with project approval regardless of project cost.
Bernos said that he anticipates the number of LGU-led PPP projects to increase with the issuance of the guidelines.
Currently, 64 of the 251 projects in the P3.13-trillion PPP pipeline are to be overseen by LGUs.
“I believe that with proper guidance, more local governments will access PPPs to spur local development. Now hospitals and other health facilities, better public markets and terminals, and modern agriculture will no longer be a pipe dream,” the congressman said.
“Sa tulong ng PPP projects, may pagkakataon na tayong maka-alpas sa pangunahing hamon ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa inaasam na progreso dahil may katuwang sa pondo," Bernos further said.
(With the help of PPP projects, we now have the opportunity to overcome the primary challenges faced by local governments in pursuing progress because there is a partner in funding.)
The PPP Center of the Philippines is the government’s lead agency for implementing and promoting PPP projects. It serves as a central hub for policy, capacity building, and project development, as well as ensures transparency, accountability, and collaboration between public institutions and private investors.