The Centrist Democracy Political Institute conducted regular round table discussion on “Pursuing Federalism: A Shift from Presidential-Unitary to Federal-Parliamentary Government” to key leaders of the cooperatives last 25 September 2016 at the Tourist’s Inn, Tagum City.

MANILA, Oct. 3 -- The World Bank (WB) released a report entitled “Benchmarking Public-Private Partnerships Procurement 2017” giving the Philippine Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program high scores in preparation and procurement of PPPs.

The Philippines received a score of 96 in preparation of PPPs, 85 on procurement of PPPs, 84 for PPP contract management and 67 for unsolicited proposals.

‘Scores nearing 100 are economies that are considered having PPP regulatory frameworks that closely align with internationally recognized good practices”, the WB report said.

The report noted that that the Philippines is among the 23 percent of 82 economies that have PPP regulations that ensure consistency in its priority projects with the country’s investment agenda.

“In the Philippines, for example, procuring authorities must (a) prepare infrastructure or development programs to identify specific priority projects that may be developed as PPPs; (b) ensure that the list of priority projects is consistent with the Philippine Development Plan, the Provincial Development Plan, and the Physical Framework Plan; and (c) submit the list to the National Economic and Development Authority Board or the Investment Coordination Committee for approval”, the report said.

The World Bank report highlighted that the Philippines has prepared its own comprehensive risk matrix.

“In the Philippines, where the Generic Preferred Risk Allocation matrix indicates the type of risks to be assessed and also includes definitions, proposed allocations and rationales, possible risk mitigation efforts, and suggested contract provisions,” the report said.

The report also underscored the good practice of the PPP Center and implementing agencies (IAs) in conducting a market sounding to evaluate the investors’ interest in the PPP projects.

“The PPP Center and the procuring authority must perform a market-sounding process to determine the interest of private sector operators, taking into account different scenarios for revenue and economic growth in the short, medium, and long terms”, the report said.

The recent World Bank report is the latest study that recognized the successful implementation of the PPP framework in the Philippines. In April 2015, the Philippines has been recognized by the Economist Intelligence Unit Infrascope 2014 report as the most improved country in Asia-Pacific for PPP readiness. The country ranked number 7 among the 21 countries included in the study and was categorized as developed PPP market alongside countries like Japan, India, and Republic of Korea. (PPP)

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See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2131475400055/world-bank-report-lauds-ph-ppp-framework

DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Vietnam president Tran Dai Quang have agreed to establish a six-year action plan that will take effect beginning 2017 that will shore up the cooperation and boost strategic partnership of the two ASEAN countries in areas of security, defense and trade.

 

Where does economic value added really come from? A good economist will tell you that value added ultimately comes from human ideas, which in turn come from learning based on actual results, what is fashionably termed now as “evidence-based.” And what is the mother of all inventions? Necessity.

 

Our economic managers fully intend to move our economy to a higher growth plane between now and 2040. From 2017 onwards, we intend to maintain a GDP growth rate of 7% or more.

On a sustained 7% growth rate, the Duterte administration committed to bringing down the poverty rate from the current 26.5% to just 17% by 2022. We expect to see a shift from consumption-led to investment-led growth, driven by low inflation and interest rate.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Duterte Administration is putting its money where its mouth is.

Budget Secretary Ben Diokno turned over to Congress the proposed ₱3.35 trillion budget for 2017, which is 11.6% higher than this year's budget.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. on Saturday called on the United Nations (UN) and the rest of the world to allow the Philippine government to deal with its domestic challenges in order to achieve its national goals without “undue interference.”

“We have not and we will never empower our law enforcement agents to shoot-to-kill individuals suspected of drug crimes. Extrajudicial killings have no place in our society, and in our criminal justice system,” Yasay told the 71st session of the UN General Assembly.

 

PASIG CITY, Sept. 26 - The country’s more than 42,000 barangays are set to hold their respective Barangay Assembly Day on Sunday, October 9, 2016, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced.

Proclamation No. 260 issued on September 30, 2011 declared the last Saturday of March and the second Sunday of October 2011 and every year thereafter as barangay assembly days.

IT WAS the Maguindanao Moro filmmaker Teng Mangansakan who alerted me to a forgotten past. Last August, Teng revisited the place that had become rather obscure in the Mindanao mind. It is called Malisbong, but few would want to remember the name, let alone inconvenience themselves with a Google map for a search. Even the remaining living survivors would rather blur their memories of a ghastly carnage that only men who don’t believe in human dignity can carry out without mercy.