THE Kennon Road rehabilitation and the Mariveles Wellness Center projects have been granted approval for project advisory services by the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) Committee, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said.
The PPP Center, which acts as the secretariat of the PDMF Committee, said in a statement Monday that the committee approved on March 11 “the project preparation and transaction advisory support through the PDMF for two (2) potential public-private partnership (PPP) projects.”
The Kennon Road project, the PPP Center said, will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while the Mariveles Wellness Center project will be implemented by the Department of Health (DoH). Both projects include an operation and maintenance (O&M) component.
The center also said the projects are being evaluated for implementation as PPPs under the Amended BOT Law or Republic Act No. 7718.
“Detailed studies will be conducted to determine if these projects will indeed be delivered as PPP projects,” it added.
The center manages and administers the PDMF, a revolving fund with initial funding from the governments of the Philippines and Australia through the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
According to the guidelines published on the official website of the PPP Center, the PDMF is made available for the preparation of pre-investment studies, project documentation, guidance and assistance in the tendering process of PPP projects of implementing agencies or local government units.
The center said the rehabilitation of Kennon Road is aimed at preventing slope deterioration along the length of the road, which is often closed by landslides.
“DPWH would like to tap the private sector expertise in finding long-term solutions to effectively prevent slope disasters along the road, maintain its quality and structural integrity, and minimize, if not totally prevent, road closures. The project will result in reduced travel time to Baguio City and surrounding areas, expand the tourism industry and related business activities even in remote communities along Kennon Road, and help address the worsening traffic conditions of traveling to Baguio City. On January 31, 2020, a preliminary market sounding exercise was conducted for this project,” it said.
The Mariveles Wellness Center Project, the center said, “involves the construction, operation, and maintenance (O&M) of a mental wellness center and ancillary facilities in the Mariveles Mental Health and General Hospital (MMHGH) compound.”
“The Wellness Center is envisioned to operate as a facility offering holistic mental wellness services, including therapeutic services and complementary and alternative medicine or CAM. It aims to close the gap in the provision of health care services with the private sector partner bringing in the expertise, innovative strategies, and efficiencies to MMHGH in providing safe, quality, and complementary health care services,” it added. — Arjay L. Balinbin
