Malacañang on Saturday defended the infrastructure program of the Aquino administration after the country’s lack of infrastructure was cited as one of the reasons for its failure to win its bid to host the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
The Fiba Central Board in Tokyo on Friday gave China the thumbs up to host the world basketball championships, edging out the Philippines which had banked on emotion and social media to win the privilege.
“We continue to expand our infrastructure and we can see that in our projects, especially the public-private partnerships (PPP), the most under any administration,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over government-run Radyo ng Bayan.
Coloma maintained that Filipinos had nothing to be ashamed of despite the Philippines’ losing bid because “countries all over the world know that we have the capability” to host the Fiba World Cup.
“Let us recognize that there are processes and decisions followed by the Fiba officials. Nonetheless, we continue to praise our official delegation,” he added.
“There are 30 to 50 PPP projects that are mostly infrastructure-oriented,” Coloma said, citing among the recently completed road projects the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway that President Aquino himself drove on two weeks ago.
Coloma said the Naia Expressway was nearing completion as well, in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference in November that world leaders are expected to attend.
“We will get to the point [where] our facilities will be truly competitive and world-class all over the country and we will be [the] preferred destination for investment, tourism and many other events,” the Palace official said.
The Fiba pitch was a national effort, Coloma said, citing the representatives from the executive branch, namely, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez.
The legislative branch was represented by Sen. Sonny Angara and boxing champ and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.
Also in the Philippine delegation were businessman Manuel Pangilinan, a prime mover in local basketball, Filipino-American actor Lou Diamond Phillips and basketball stalwarts Chot Reyes and Jimmy Alapag.
China had retired NBA player Yao Ming to bolster its bid.
China has hosted several international sports events, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 Asian Games and 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics.