KAPIHAN SA KLUB. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista during his speech at the 'Kapihan sa Klub' meeting in Greenhills, San Juan City on Wednesday (April 17, 2024). Bautista enjoined members of the committee to participate in the government's Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programs to help bring efficient transportation and economic growth to the country. (Photo courtesy of DOTr)
MANILA – Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects bring efficiency in the transportation sector, leading to economic growth, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Wednesday.
Bautista cited aviation projects such as the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, the airports in Clark, Bohol-Panglao, Laguindingan, and several other airport projects as successful PPP projects.
“We hope that you can connect us to interested investors who will appreciate the business viability of our transport infrastructures. We welcome foreign participation in financing our infrastructure projects under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement or PPP,” he said at the ‘Kapihan Sa Klub’ meeting in San Juan City,
Through better public transportation and the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), the DOTr is hoping to solve the country’s traffic problems by encouraging more people to use public transportation.
“The goal is to achieve efficient movement of people. With fewer cars on our roads, rail transport reduces traffic congestion,” he said.
Big-ticket rail projects include the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), the Metro Manila Subway Project, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, MRT-7, and the MRT-4.
To date, the DOTr handles more than 160 various projects, programs, and initiatives—including 74 infrastructure flagship projects of the Marcos administration.
“We are also pushing for non-specific thematic initiatives that are all-encompassing across the different sectors. Included in the thematic initiatives are reducing logistics cost, creating transport jobs, transport safety and security, carbon neutrality, disaster resilience, gender equality, disability, and social inclusion, among others,” Bautista said. (PNA)
