Ferdinand Pecson has been officially appointed executive director of the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines (PPP Center).
Pecson’s appointment was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on November 15. He was sworn into office on November 21 by deputy director-general Rolando Tungpalan of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), parent agency of PPP Center.
In line with the administration’s socioeconomic agenda of inclusive growth through accelerated infrastructure spending, Pecson is tasked to strengthen the PPP program through pipeline development, policy reforms, and process improvement.
“It is continuing what has been started. The Center already built the foundations for the program and therefore I am very glad we are not starting from zero.” Pecson said, as he disclosed his plans for the PPP Center.
According to Pecson, the PPP Center’s role in infrastructure development is “very strategic.” He believes there are benefits from engaging the private sector’s participation in infrastructure projects. These include raising the standards of construction and safety, and improving how projects are done because private entities bring with them not just local but also international expertise.
The new PPP Center head aims to optimize processes by learning about previous procurement bottlenecks, adapt established best practices, and standardize lessons learned. Pecson also recognizes the value of partnering and working closely with implementing agencies.
The former University of the Philippines assistant professor has over 20 years of experience in the private sector in the field of construction supply and engineering.
Prior to joining the government, Pecson held several international positions at FLSmidth offices for seven years. He also served as the vice president for operations of Holcim Philippines in 2008. He had worked with Deere & Company as a manager in 2002, and was a corporate and operations strategy consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in 2001.
He has a Ph.D. in Energy Engineering from UP under a joint program with the University of Wisconsin, a Master’s in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UP.
Another PPP Center official, deputy executive director Eleazar Ricote, was sworn into office by NEDA Secretary Ernesto Pernia on November 14, 2016.
Ricote was director IV of PPP Center from 2010 to 2014, and was posted as deputy executive director in November 2014. Prior to PPP Center, Ricote was a director at the Department of Trade and Industry.
PPP Center is mandated under Executive Order No. 8 series of 2010, as amended by Executive Order No. 136 series of 2013, to facilitate implementation of the country’s PPP projects.
