Philippines' PPP Center will further institutionalize transparency in the pursuit of PPP Projects through a PPP knowledge management portal (KMP) and a Virtual Data Room (VDR).

PPP Center Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao, stated:

"We are in the process of putting up a PPP knowledge management (KM) portal that will improve the information exchange between the government, private sector and the general public with respect to our PPP projects."

The KMP is backed up by a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure that will feature nine IT systems that will facilitate gathering, documentation, storage, and exchange of project-based information on PPP projects with all PPP stakeholders.

One of the KMP's IT Systems is the VDR, a highly secure, on-line facility for storing, accessing and distributing relevant tender documents of PPP projects undergoing live procurement. This online platform will help bidders undertake necessary due diligence or review of a PPP project by making available, electronic versions of tender documents, feasibility studies, photos, maps and other related project documents, in a secure and controlled environment.

Mr. Canillao added:

"The use of the VDR is part of our continued efforts at improving transparency in dealing with our bidders as it has embedded in its system, an IT audit trail that will ensure the transparency of each transaction."

In the recent meeting of the PPP Governing Board, the utilization of said VDR was acknowledged as one of the PPP best practice approaches and methodologies that the Philippine PPP Program has institutionalized. These will all be embodied in a Policy Circular on PPP Best Practices that the Governing Board also approved.