Gov’t sets rules for revolving PPP dev’t fund

The government on Wednesday launched in Quezon City the draft guidelines on the use of a P550-million revolving fund for the advisory needs of agencies and local government units in developing public-private partnership projects (PPP) for bidding.

The Department of Health, specifically its P900-million Vaccine Self-Sufficiency Project (Phase 2), and the Department of Education’s (DepEd) classroom program are the first two beneficiaries of the P550-million Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF).

PDMF is a revolving fund that is currently open for access to government agencies and local government units for projects that can be specifically undertaken through the PPP scheme.

Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona said in a briefing at the PPP Center that the agency was also preparing for the modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital with PDMF funding.

Education Assistant Secretary Jesus Lorenzo R. Mateo said the PPP scheme would help address the current lack of about 70,000 classrooms. DepEd aims to build 30,000 classrooms under the PPP scheme alone.

Of the 30,000 classrooms, an initial 10,000 would be built in 2012, Mateo said.

Mateo said that another 10,000 classrooms would be constructed under the DepEd’s regular program, while 10,000 classrooms more would be funded by a donation from state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. The League of Corporate Foundations is raising funds to help build another 10,000 classrooms.

Cosette V. Canilao, executive director of the PPP Center, which manages the PDMF and leads the government’s efforts to roll out PPPs, said the PDMF provides funding for pre-investment activities like the preparation of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, tender documents, the drafting of PPP contracts, and other steps that would help agencies determine project viability and suitability to PPP.

Economic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. said this would enable implementing agencies to bid out projects more quickly.

Paderanga also said the government had pre-qualified nine groups of international advisors that would readily help implementing agencies with their pre-investment activities.

The PPP Center said it had so far received 20 expressions of interest from various agencies to avail of the PDMF.