PPP clarifies: Airport stakeholders consulted

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center would like to clarify certain information that appeared in the Jan. 2 issue of the Inquirer. The story, titled “Cebu airport off limits to groups with airline stakes,” was filed under the byline of Paolo G. Montecillo.

In the course of developing PPP projects, the Center, in partnership with all implementing agencies (IAs), undertakes targeted market-sounding initiatives and consultations to gather comments, information and insights from our stakeholders and from other industry players on the proposed structure of the projects. We believe that the exchange of information and insight is useful in ensuring the viability of the projects.

It is not true that no public consultation was held for the Mactan-Cebu International Airport project. On the contrary, the PPP Center, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and Communications, initiated several public consultations where interested parties and stakeholders, both from the local and international business communities, were invited.

This was particularly true of projects whose feasibility studies are funded under the Project Development and Monitoring Fund managed by the PPP Center itself.

For DOTC’s airport projects, which include Mactan-Cebu (MCIA), Panglao and Laguindingan, a series of consultations with the private sector was conducted in May 2012. Specifically, for the MCIA and the Laguindingan airports, the market-sounding activities were conducted on May 10-11, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the PPP Center. These were followed by another series of market-sounding activities, this time for the New Bohol Airport Project, conducted on May 17-18, 2012, 9:30 to 7:45 p.m. at the PPP Center.

Among those invited to participate in these consultations were high-level representatives from the Malaysian Airport, Samsung C&T, Flughafen Zurich AG, Macquarie, Mitsubishi Corp., BPI Capital Corp., Megawide Corp.,

Ayala Land, Aboitiz Land, JG Summit, ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide, Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, Indra (an IT solutions provider), San Miguel Corp., EEI Corp. and Daewoo.

Your readers can verify this information through our website, specifically at the Events Calendar under this URL: https://ppp.gov.ph/?page_id=7037.

We hope this puts to rest allegations that our partners and stakeholders from the industry as well as prospective bidders were not consulted. The fact is consultations were indeed conducted.

As we open the new year, the PPP Center will continue to provide its stakeholders and the Filipino people quality service, rooted in the ideals of good governance.—ELEAZAR E. RICOTE, director, Capacity Building and Knowledge Management, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center