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DepEd bats for 9,332 new classrooms by 2013 under PPP scheme


By the end of July 2013, the Philippine public school system will have 9,332 new classrooms in the Ilocos, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. If the first public-private partnership project of the Department of Education unveiled at an investor conference Wednesday succeeds, that is.   Over 300 business executives — mostly of construction firms, financial institutions and corporate foundations — gathered in Makati to witness first hand the PPP for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) presented by government officials led by Education Secretary Armin Luistro.   Luistro said it took government some time to develop the PPP for the education sector because they were being “cautious.”   The DepEd undertook preparatory work, including a detailed inventory of school buildings and a survey of sites where classroom shortage is acute.   Luistro said the classroom shortage stands at 66,800.   Education Undersecretary Francisco Varela said at least 15 entities are interested in the PSIP.  "It is the first time we are doing this. And we hope it will succeed as shown by the expression of interest of many investors," Varela noted.

The Department of Education presented details of its first Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Program (PSIP) in an investor conference Wednesday in Makati. Up for bids are three contract packages involving a total of 9,332 classrooms. DepEd officials said 15 parties have expressed interest in qualifying for the PSIP.  Earl Victor Rosero
Deadlines   PSIP will use the build-lease-transfer mode.   March 23 is the deadline for submitting qualification documents, and April 27 is the pre-bid conference.   Deadline for the technical and financial proposals is June 29, if all goes well, contracts will be signed by July 20. The DepEd expects “end of delivery of all classrooms and buildings by July 31, 2013.   Under conventional construction methods, building 9,332 classrooms will cost P11 billion, Varela explained. With the private sector latest technologies, the cost would be significantly lower, he added.   "… (T)he classrooms will be delivered to us and we will stretch the payment for 10 years," he said.   Three contract packages are up for bids. Package A covers Region I (Ilocos) and involves 660 schools and 2,050 classrooms. Package B is for Region III (Central Luzon) for 656 schools and 2,999 classrooms. Package C is for Region IV-A (Calabarzon), which covers 1,097 schools 4,283 classrooms. — ELR/VS, GMA News
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