Gov Davide, Cebu Officials to Attend Int’l PPP Forum

Governor Hilario P. Davide III will lead a Cebu delegation invited to Tokyo, Japan to attend the 10th International Forum on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) on August 4. Governor Davide III will speak on Cebu’s investments potentials thru PPP during the forum, which will also be attended by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad.

This international forum is organized annually by the Toyo University thru its Asia PPP Institute, which was tapped by Gov. Davide to study possible PPP projects in Cebu last February.

Members of the Cebu delegation include senior Provincial Board (PB) Member Peter John Calderon, chair of the committee chair on health and co-author of Cebu’s investment code; PB Member Christopher Baricuatro, author of Cebu’s investment code and PPP ordinance, and PB Member Jude Thaddeus Durano-Sybico, vice chair of the committee on planning and development.

Toyo University also invited (some) local chief executives to the forum. Joining the Cebu delegation are Municipal Mayors Raymond Joseph Calderon of Samboan and Lisa Marie Durano-Estreegan of Sogod, and Vice Mayors Wilson Wenceslao of Santander and Richard Estreegan of Sogod.

Second District Rep. Wilfredo Caminero was also invited and will attend the forum.

The Cebu delegation include representatives from the private sector, Slovakia’s honorary Consul Antonio Chiu, who is also a member of Cebu Investment Promotions Board and University of San Jose-Recoletos- College of Law Dean Jonathan Capanas, Capitol consultant and who works (for the governor) on the Monozukuri Project of Saitama Prefecture.

Cebu Investment Promotions Office (CIPO) Chief Benjamin Yap and Capitol senior consultant on Resource Development and International Cooperation Rodrigo Lachica Jr. are also part of the team.

In the forum, Takashi Tokue will present the Case Study on “PPP Possibility Study in the Province of Cebu.” He was one of the Japanese experts, who were sent to research potential PPP projects on key development areas; land use, disaster preparedness, health, and urban infrastructure.

Gov. Davide will deliver a speech in the forum focusing on the identified key areas and how the PPP could help achieve his governmental functions without depending much on the province’s resources.

The Governor’s 6-key development agenda includes private sector cooperation especially in infrastructure projects, health services, and disaster preparedness.

Lachica said the governor also expects to strengthen the cooperation between Cebu Province and Toyo University.

Keynote speakers of the forum also include Dr. Geoffrey Hamilton, chief, Cooperation and Partnerships Section, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s International PPP Center of Excellence.

This year, Toyo University will be inaugurating a Specialist Center of Excellence for PPP in Local Governments under the UNECE’s International PPP Center of Excellence.

Currently, Toyo University took under its wing 40 municipalities in Japan and Asia in developing and implementing PPP policies/projects. In the Philippines, the pioneering initiative is the agricultural project case study in Butuan City, which is already in the implementation stage.

Aside from forum, the Cebu delegation will also pay a courtesy visit to the officials of Japan International Cooperation Agency, Saitama Prefecture, and Yokohama City. The delegation will also visit private companies and public institutions in Yokohama City and Saitama Prefecture.

www.cebu.gov.ph