BAGUIO CITY – The city government is in the process of selecting the different high impact projects to be undertaken through public-private partnership (PPP) for the present administration to reach its goal of making a better Baguio.
Earlier, the government embraced the PPP as one of the strategies to fastrack the development of the city with the active participation of the private sector in providing the required funds for the implementation of the high impact development projects beneficial to the greater welfare of the populace.
Included in the list of proposed high impact projects to be undertaken through PPP are the proposed modernization of the Baguio City public market, the conversion of the city’s streetlights from the present high pressure sodium fixtures to Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures, the construction of integrated parking terminals in the Slaughterhouse Compound and the Baguio Dairy Farm, the put up of multi-level parking structures in the Ganza parking area and other strategic areas in the city, monorail project in the central business district area, the put up of a cable car system, among other proposed development projects that could not be funded by the city government under its existing funds.
City Budget Officer Leticia O. Clemente explained there is a prescribed level of process that should be strictly observed in the determination of the projects to be funded through the PPP where the process could go to as far as 7 to 8 months but the same could be reduced depending on the pace of the review of the concerned technical personnel.
Under the PPP ordinance of the city, the modalities on how to undertake the projects include solicited and unsolicited proposals. Solicited proposals are projects that have existing terms of reference and detailed feasibility studies while unsolicited proposals are those that emanate from private sector proponents with only the detailed feasibility study.
The city government is contemplating on hiring a consultant to assistant the concerned offices for the PPP projects considering the timetable required under the city’s existing PPP ordinance to ensure the execution of the projects pursuant to standards.
On the other hand, Clemente informed that city officials the PPP Center is also willing to provide technical assistance and consultancy services to the city government for the implementation of its PPP ordinance and the realization of most of its projects programmed to be implemented through the PPP.
By the second of this month, she disclosed PPP Center officials and technical personnel will come to the city and provide the needed capacitation to city officials and personnel for them to implement the two-year old PPP ordinance.
By Dexter A. See
