Filinvest eyes power generation, other projects under PPP

MANILA, Philippines - Filinvest Development Corp., the listed investment holding firm of the family of businessman Andrew Gotianun, is interested in the Public-Private Partnership projects being offered by the government.

FDC president Josephine Gotianun-Yap said the group is looking at some PPP projects, particularly on power generation, and expects to announce concrete plans in the next three to six months.

The local government is preparing 80 infrastructure-related projects worth about P740 billion. A handful of these may be auctioned off within the year.

The group has formed Strong Field Gas & Electric Corp., with an initial authozed capital of P16 million, to serve as its corporate vehicle for its venture into the power business.

FDC’s diversification into the power generation business will start with two coal-fired power plants planned in the Visayas and Mindanao with a total capacity of 300 megawatts.

FDC is in the process of applying for permits from the relevant governmental and regulatory authorities and is in negotiations with potential equipment suppliers and potential power off-takers with respect to each project.

With respect to the potential power project in the Visayas, FDC is also conducting a feasibility study with respect to a potential water desalination facility at the same site that would be operated using off-peak power from the proposed power plant.

The Filinvest Group is one of the country’s leading conglomerates, with interests in real estate through Filinvest Land, financial and banking services (East West Banking Corp.) and sugar manufacturing through Pacific Sugar Holdings.

Filinvest Land Inc., FDC’s 51 percent owned property unit, develops affordable and mid-income housing projects as well as tourism-related projects.

FDC also has 91 percent effective ownership in Filinvest Alabang Inc., developer of Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang – the premiere urban district in South Metro Manila.

East West is one of the fastest growing commercial banks with one of the highest return on equity in the Philippine banking sector while Pacific Sugar operates two sugar mills and two sugar refineries, and has corporate sugarcane farming operations.

The Filinvest Group has been in the residential business for over 45 years and has developed over 2,000 hectares of raw land into homes for more than 110,000 families, as well as over 600,000 square meters of office/retail and high-rise residential space.