A planned joint memorandum circular providing guidance on public-private partnerships for development projects will extend “much-needed help” to local government units (LGUs), a member of the House of Representatives committees on local government and rural development said.

“PPP projects are a game-changer for LGUs because our development projects need not be stymied by the lack of funding anymore. So, the impending issuance of guidelines for how we can properly embark on PPP projects would provide much-needed help, especially for LGUs that lack technical expertise,” Abra Lone District Rep. JB Bernos said in a statement Thursday.

The PPP Center recently announced that it is set to release with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, a joint memorandum circular that will serve as an implementation guide for LGUs, particularly for healthcare projects.

The memorandum is targeted for the early part of the second half of this year, the center said.

According to PPP Center Undersecretary and Executive Director Rizza Blanco-Latorre, the PPP Code streamlined the processing of PPP projects for LGUs, empowering local councils with project approval, regardless of project cost.

Bernos said he anticipates the number of LGU-led PPP projects to increase with the issuance of the guidelines.

Currently, 64 of the 251 projects in the PHP3.13 trillion PPP pipeline are to be overseen by LGUs.

“I believe that with proper guidance, more local governments will access PPPs to spur local development. Now hospitals and other health facilities, better public markets and terminals, and modern agriculture will no longer be a pipe dream,” he said.

“Sa tulong ng PPP projects, may pagkakataon na tayong maka-alpas sa pangunahing hamon ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa inaasam na progreso dahil may katuwang sa pondo (With the help of PPP projects, we can now hurdle the main challenge of local governments in achieving much-awaited progress because we now have a funding partner).” (PNA)