The Philippines will be hosting the first ASEAN Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Networking Forum in Manila in December 2014.

The forum will bring together members of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC), national coordinators, PPP focal points and officials responsible for infrastructure projects from the ten ASEAN Member States (AMS).

Organized by the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN, with support from ACCC, Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Division and the PPP Center of the Philippines. The forum will be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel from December 16-17.

The forum aims to be a venue for sharing experiences on PPP of every member countries. It will tackle challenges, opportunities, and innovative PPP practices as well as insights from the private sector.

It will also facilitate dialogue about a proposal for an ASEAN Guidelines/Principles on PPP that expects to harmonize policy, institutional, and regulatory frameworks of AMS with the view to further enhance the economic integration and global competitiveness of the region.

This also aims to establish a network of PPP units or similar institutions that will be a venue for regular interaction of member countries.

Representatives from the private sector, financing institutions, and development partners will also attend the event.

Earlier this month, President Benigno Aquino III made the announcement of the country hosting the forum during the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) dialogue, which was part of the recently-concluded 25th ASEAN Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

President Aquino said during his intervention at the ABAC dialogue:

The forum will take stock of the outcomes of recent PPP initiatives in ASEAN and will serve as an avenue for exploring the future direction of PPP efforts in the ASEAN region.

In this way, with both the public and private sectors working together, we will sooner realize our vision of an inclusive, interconnected, and progressive region, one that serves as a wellspring of opportunity for all our peoples.