Marcos urges LGUs to be open to PPP

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has called on local government units to be open to public-private partnership (PPP) as a mode of financing for projects.

Marcos mentioned this during a meeting with members of the League of Cities of the Philippines on Tuesday. He emphasized that digitalization would play a big part in the PPP, especially in pushing for economic recovery and digital transformation.

"I think this is the way forward, and I encourage all our local government units to be open to the possibilities of PPPs and to have private-public partnerships, especially in your areas," Marcos said in a statement released Wednesday.

"Digitalization is a going to be a very natural fit for something like PPPs," Marcos added.

Further, Marcos said his administration would also focus on infrastructure, noting that he already received offers to fund big-ticket projects, including official development assistance (ODA) and joint ventures.

"May ODA, may private sector, joint venture (There's ODA, there's private sector)... Well, you're local government, you know that already. Local government generally cannot do it by itself. We have to find partners, we have to find local partners, we have to find investors. Sanay na kayo diyan (You know that already),” Marcos said.

Local chief executives should also become the "driving force" to promote economic transformation, according to the Chief Executive.

"But even at the national level, we are encouraging it. I hope that you continue to do that and be the driving force behind our economic transformation. I have always said that some of the best talent in government is in the LGUs, in the cities, in the governors, in the mayors," Marcos said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News