At the Second International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum held on May 26, 2011, Rogelio L. Singson, Minister of the Bureau of Public Works and Roads in the Philippines, said that his government had launched a series of infrastructure projects to counter its lagging development. The projects included urban transportation, harbor and airport construction, with more concentration on airport highways and toll roads.
Minister Singson said that his country’s infrastructure development was primarily achieved through PPP (public-private-partnerships), whose implementation model, including traditional full-government financing, private sector contracted financing and relevant government funding, was very flexible. Part of the PPP project began this year, with more starting next year. One key project will be the construction of schools.
The minister also said that the Philippines could provide good opportunities for infrastructure investment. Representatives from chambers within the Philippine government wanted to explore the possibility of bilateral cooperation with China in infrastructure construction.
Hermanto Dardak, Vice Minister of the Department of Public Works of Indonesia, explained at the forum that Indonesia was to further the construction of roads nationwide. Indonesia has given a green light to joint state-private operations on toll road construction, and investments from both home and abroad are welcome.
When referring to cooperation with China, Vice Minister Dardak said that Indonesia hoped to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation with China, and draw more investment from China and elsewhere abroad in order to improve Indonesia's infrastructure construction.
Ni Jiati, Deputy Director of the Sector of Chinese Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce, said that China had signed agreements on strengthening cooperation in infrastructure and established a working mechanism for a regular exchange of views with more than 10 countries. Ni also stressed that China was willing to establish a cooperation mechanism with more countries to realize a more effective level of cooperation.