EJAP to hold PPP forum

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government’s infrastructure program will, once again, take center stage during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines’ (EJAP) forum dubbed “PPP: On the Road to Investment Grade” today.

EJAP is the country’s premier organization of economic journalists mostly from the print media but also includes newspersons working for broadcast media, wire news agencies and online publications.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya will deliver the keynote speech on how to fast-track improvements on road and transportation systems during the event to be held at the Rigodon Ballroom of Manila Peninsula Hotel.

Aside from Abaya the other government officials who will be speaking during the forum are PPP executive director Cosette Canilao and DOE investment promotions head Lisa Go.

Among the topics to be discussed during the forum are global benchmarks on infrastructure investments in toll roads, railways and power generation.

The private sector will be represented by Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.’s Ramoncito Fernandez and Meralco MPower’s Roberto Almazora.

COL Financial research head April Lee Tan, JP Morgan research head Gilbert Lopez and Deutsche Bank’s Giovanni dela Rosa will serve as  facilitators during the forum.

The EJAP Forum is sponsored by San Miguel Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. as Platinum Sponsors while Vista Land & Lifescapes and Universal Motors Corp. are the Gold Sponsors.

Media partners of the event are the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, and Philippine STAR while Silver Sponsors are BDO Unibank, Holcim Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, Union Bank, and Security Banking Corp.

Putting up of the necessary infrastructure projects is among the goals of the Aquino administration to nail the much awaited investment grade for the domestic economy.

To date, the three major debt watchers Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor’s (S&P) rate the country a notch below investment grade.

The Philippines has received a total of nine positive ratings action since the second half of 2010.