By Joann Villanueva/PNA
MANILA – Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez on Wednesday said that those burdened with implementing infrastructure projects and other government programs should always think of public interest, as they ensure that such projects are completed on time.
“People have to remember that when projects are delayed, the ones who suffer are the people. So it is not PPP, it should be PPPP — Public-Private Partnership for the People. And I think many people forget that the beneficiaries are really the public,” he said during a press briefing at the site of the Clark International Expansion Project in Pampanga.
Dominguez, who accompanied Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade among others officials during the site visit of Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines Gerard Ho, and senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, among others, said the expansion of the Clark International Airport serves as the template for all the infrastructure programs of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
He cited the contribution of the private sector in the speed of the implementation of the project.
The government awarded the project to Megawide-GMR, which is the consortium of local company Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure of India.
The project is considered a hybrid because while engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) was awarded to Megawide-GMR, the operations and management (O&M) was awarded to the North Luzon Airport Consortium, which is composed of Singapore’s Changi Airport and local conglomerates JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Filinvest Development Corp.
Dominguez noted that the expansion of the Clark International Airport, which is seen to be the next premier gateway of the country, has been on the drawing board for about 20 years.
Its expansion is seen to help address congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the main gateway to the country, and is located at the southern part of Metro Manila.
Authorities have noted the speed of the construction of Clark International Airport’s new terminal building, which is projected to be finished by mid-2020.
Dominguez said all the procedures to ensure a “fast and sure approach to rapid infrastructure modernization” were done with full transparency and accountability for this airport project.
“This is not only a model for rapid implementation of projects. It is also a model for effective governance in the modern age,” he added.
