PHL promotes PPP in high-level seminar in Finland

Philippine officials promoted the Aquino administration’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in Finland in a high-level seminar organized by the Philippine Embassy there and Finland’s Foreign Ministry. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the first High Level Seminar on Philippine-Finnish Bilateral Relations was held at the Marina Congress Center in Helsinki on May 16. “About 40 participants coming from various Finnish government agencies and the private sector, including large Finnish companies such as Nokia and Wartsila, attended the seminar aimed at further strengthening trade and investment cooperation between the Philippines and Finland," the DFA said in a news release posted Friday on its website. Philippine Ambassador Ma. Angelina Sta. Catalina and Finnish Secretary of State Perti Torstila opened the seminar. In her opening remarks, Sta. Catalina underscored the importance of the seminar in the overall context of Philippine-Finnish relations. She stressed the importance of providing a venue for a fruitful exchange of information and the generation of new ideas for partnerships involving both the public and private sectors of the two countries. The seminar featured panel discussions focused on four identified key areas of Clean Technology and Renewable Energy, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Climate Change Mitigation and Infrastructure Development. Sta. Catalina led the discussions in the area of infrastructure development and provided seminar participants. She also gave a briefing on the current state of the Philippine economy and the Aquino administration’s economic development program. “The Ambassador also promoted the Philippine Government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program and outlined the investment opportunities available in the renewable energy sector in the Philippines," the DFA said. She also declared the Philipines as “Open for Business" as she underscored the administration’s resolve in improving the business environment and ensuring that all investors benefit from a level playing field. - VVP, GMA News