USAID Supports DICT’s Knowledge Sharing and Action Planning on PPPs for the ICT Sector

(Left photo) USAID Office of Economic Development and Governance Deputy Director Eric Florimon-Reed (2nd from left, seated) with PPP Center Executive Director Cynthia Hernandez (3rd from left, seated) and members of the DICT senior management headed by Undersecretary for Connectivity Angelo Nuestro and Undersecretary for Infrastructure Management and Support Services Manuel Anthony Tan. (Right) Attendees of the event.

More than 60 senior officials from the Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), World Bank, and USAID joined the Knowledge Sharing and Action Planning on PPPs for the ICT Sector held on November 28, 2022 at the Great Eastern Hotel in Quezon City.

The event, co-organized by DICT and USAID’s Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) Activity, convened the DICT senior management and organizations helping the agency to move the PPP agenda forward to build collective knowledge and exchange vital information on building a successful PPP framework as well as developing and implementing PPP projects that will benefit both ICT infrastructure and economic development of the country.

DICT Undersecretary Angelo Nuestro and Assistant Secretary Philip Varilla provided a snapshot of the possible PPP projects classified according to the major components of the National Broadband Program: National Fiber Backbone, International Cable Landing Station, Accelerated Tower Build, Accelerated Fiber Build, Submarine Fiber Optic Cable, and Satellite Overlay. Meanwhile, PPP Center Undersecretary Cynthia Hernandez committed that as the government’s central coordinating and monitoring agency for all PPP projects, they can help DICT in the whole PPP project life cycle.

DICT and PPP Center will sign a Memorandum of Agreement outlining a framework for cooperation and coordination to achieve shared goals such as formulating guidelines for PPPs, building capacity in PPP, and project development particularly on how PPPs can be structured and designed in a sustainable and responsible way.

This planning session is the first of a series to enhance DICT’s capacities in PPP. Harnessing PPPs to reduce inequalities in access to ICTs can help achieve wider development objectives such as reducing poverty, improving access to health and education services, and creating new sources of income and employment for the poor.