DAVAO CITY (September 24) – The Mindanao Public-Private Partnership Facilitation Initiative, commonly referred to as the Mindanao PPP Program and PPP Desk, was introduced by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) on Tuesday.
Together with the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines, the initiative seeks to increase agency capacities in Mindanao, create a robust pipeline of bankable projects, and create an atmosphere that is conducive to private investment in long-term, profit-generating endeavors that promote inclusive local development.
“This is a further development in our effort to create a better Mindanao. We have officially launched the Mindanao PPP Program and Desk, and we are now shifting our focus to activating this platform for real impact,” MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno stated at the launch.
The initiative supports the larger plan of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to encourage regional investment and use PPPs to speed up infrastructure development.
Its primary purpose is to support local governments (LGUs) in carrying out high-impact infrastructure and energy projects while guaranteeing sustainability, financial feasibility, and alignment with national priorities.
Magno revealed during an interview with the media that the PPP Desk is now physically operational at MinDA’s Davao City office and digitally available to all LGUs and agencies in Mindanao.
“It is designed to be the first stop for PPP support — from project identification and structuring to legal guidance, investor matching, and capacity development,” he added. “Reach out, engage with the Desk and let’s begin the process of turning plans into progress.”
He underlined the Mindanao PPP Program and Desk as more than just platforms. They also represent a commitment to empowering LGUs, attracting responsible investment, and providing innovative infrastructure.
“More importantly, it’s a commitment to turning Mindanao from a land of promise into a land of fulfilled promises, marked by peace, progress, and opportunity,” Magno added.
Ma. Cynthia Hernandez, executive director of the PPP Center, stated that partnership with MinDA began in 2017 through a memorandum of understanding, which established a framework for capacity building and processes to increase infrastructure investment and PPP planning for Mindanao’s LGUs.
“This collaboration contributes to the Center’s PPP strategy, which strives to educate LGUs about PPPs as an alternative approach to finance and develop local infrastructure. This strategy was reinforced by the PPP Code, which the President signed in December 2023,” she explained.
