P2.4-B PPP project with Malaysia firm to take shape in Bataan

BALANGA CITY—Officials of the Bataan provincial government on Tuesday broke ground for a P2.4-billion government center and business hub at the provincial capitol compound here.

Gov. Albert Garcia said the new capitol compound would also host buildings for business process outsourcing, hotel and other social amenities.

The project, he said, will be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) deal with Alloy MTD Group, a Malaysian construction company known for engaging in building high-end business communities in Asia.

“There is now a new way of getting a new capitol building without spending anything, or without a loan for its construction and without spending a single centavo for the building’s maintenance,” the governor said.

The project, he said, is expected to provide more than 10,000 jobs and business opportunities for various enterprises in Bataan province.

Engineer Isaac David, president of MTD Philippines Inc., said the Bataan government, through a provincial board resolution, approved the project.

Construction will start in three months, he said.

Garcia said the original provincial capitol building, built in 1950, would be preserved. The focal point of the new capitol compound, he said, will pay tribute to World War II veterans. Greg Refraccion, Inquirer Central Luzon