Butuan City official underscores importance of PPP

By Robert E. Roperos

Thursday 2nd of August 2012

BUTUAN CITY, Aug 2 (PIA) -- A city official here underscored the importance of public-private partnership (PPP) as the city government is implementing this as one of the flagship programs of the Aquino administration.

In an interview, in time with the 62nd Charter Day celebration of this city, Butuan City Vice Mayor Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun said under the leadership of Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr., the PPP is among the priority programs of the city government.

True to this, Fortun said the Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved the city ordinance dubbed the PPP Code of the City of Butuan.

He added Butuan is the first in the country to have such a code.

In a press conference Fortun emphasized that the PPP can help boost the economic condition of the area, saying that the local government here cannot do alone in implementing economic development in the city.

Since last year, the city government has partnered with private institutions both locally and internationally.

One of these undertakings is the partnership with the Tokyo University in Japan in its quest to duplicate the solid waste management program of Japan through the said university.

Aside from this, the city government is regularly conducting job fairs during important occasions such as the annual fiesta celebration where private companies are invited to hire employment to the residents of Butuan.

In other development, the celebration of the 62nd “Adlaw Hong Butuan” is highlighted by the inauguration of the Guingona Park, which is being renovated since early this year.

The ceremony was graced by former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and Senator TJ Guingona. The Guingonas turned over to the city government the five-hectare lot owned by the family in Barangay Ampayon here for the establishment of the Philippine Science High School.

Thursday, Senator Guingona will give his keynote speech during the opening of the 21st Mindanao Business Conference hosted by the city government, the provincial government of Agusan del Norte and the Butuan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (BCCIFI).

The conference will run until Saturday, August 4, and is anchored on the theme: “Invest Mindanao: Towards a more inclusive, progressive and greener future.” (RER–PIA13 Caraga)