Government taps Australia for infrastructure expertise

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is seen tapping the expertise of Australia in terms of infrastructure as it prioritizes the sector in the administration’s economic development agenda.

The Australian government launched the Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) initiative in the Philippines to drive sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through quality infrastructure.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno maintained that the government is pouring the necessary resources to advance the country’s infrastructure sector.

“Sustainable infrastructure will enhance access to basic services, promote environmental sustainability, and support inclusive growth,” Diokno said.

P4I provides innovative and tailor-made services that address the needs of Southeast Asian countries.

By strengthening financing strategies, regulatory frameworks, and technology choices––particularly in green technology––P4I helps ensure the development of quality and modern infrastructure among partner-countries in the region.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu PSM, for her part, said the Philippines would be able to access Australian expertise to support infrastructure decision-making and practice, particularly in the early stages of the infrastructure lifecycle.

“There’s been a great demand generated from the Philippines. The focus will be around the early stages of infrastructure investment development. It’s about prioritization, planning, and the project procurement process,” Yu said.

“It’s not the exciting part because you’re not cutting the ribbon over the bridge that has been built but it is the most important part of the infrastructure investment cycle, and that’s where we are focusing on right now,” she said.

The P4I would initially focus on energy, transport, and telecommunication sectors.

The initiative offers four main services including partnerships, infrastructure advisory services, project advice, and regional knowledge sharing.

Diokno said the government would leverage private capital and expertise through the public-private partnership mechanism to pursue big-ticket infrastructure projects.