The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region IX in coordination with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center successfully hosted a one-day Regional Orientation-Workshop on Public-Private Partnership conducted last October 9, 2012 at the Celebrity Hall, Grand Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City.

Participants to orientation-workshop were the Planning Development Coordinators, Designated Local Economic Investment Promotions Officers (LEIPOs) of the Provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, Cities of Zamboanga, Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian and Isabela, and the municipalities of Zamboanga Peninsula.

Key functionaries in attendance were DILG Region IX Assistant Regional Director                             Pedro G. Cuevas, Jr., Zamboanga City Administrator Antonio G. Orendain, Jr., NEDA IX OIC-Assistant Regional Director Vicente S. Fabian and Director Eleazar E. Ricote, Capacity Building and Knowledge Management Service, PPP Center, respectively, among others.

The activity aimed at apprising the local government units (LGUs) of the objective, significance and importance of the concept of public-private partnerships in realizing the national goals and objectives, among other considerations.

Further, it aims to provide capacity building initiatives and enhance the technical capacities of LGUs in terms of implementation of development and other infrastructure projects consistent to national government thrusts.

In his message during the opening program, ARD Cuevas, representing Regional Director Paisal O. Abutazil, emphasized the importance of forging and strengthening partnerships and collaboration between the government and private sectors to concretize efforts and implement strategies geared towards the improvement of lives of the people in the community.

“Public-Private Partnership is an effective mechanism in ensuring progress and development at all levels of governance. Collaboration between these sectors is an effective measure in order to realize our goals and objectives,” ARD Cuevas said.

Among the subjects discussed during the activity were the Philippine PPP Program, its Legal Framework, Processes and Cycle and the PPP Monitoring and Evaluation.

Following the lectures and presentations was the workshop session and the open forum whereby participants were provided the opportunity to be clarified on PPP issues and concerns.

This PPP initiative, a joint undertaking of DILG and the PPP Center, an attached agency of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is supplemented by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) duly signed by the concerned parties.