ILOILO City – The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) backed this city’s effort to develop public markets through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The PCC conducted a regional road show on Philippine Competition Act for local stakeholders in Mandurriao district on Wednesday.
“We need to enter into PPP. It will ensure revenues for the city government. Our markets are also in deplorable state. We want to have the best public markets in Western Visayas,” Mayor Jerry Treñas said.
Arnold Roy Tenorio, director of PCC’s communications and knowledge management office, said this city’s scouting of prospective investors was in line with the thrust of the commission to propagate competition all over the country.
“Iloilo is now looking for partners to develop public markets, looking for private partners for the management of facilities being undertaken by entities that have financial muscle and more expertise that the consumers will benefit in the end,” Tenorio said.
“Mayor Treñas is moving in the right direction when he was opening up the management of public facilities like public markets to more competition, allowing the private sector,” he added.
Tenorio said the culture of competition was important for the country to see the economic growth.
“If you have competition, it means that more people are participating in a certain business,” he added.
Tenorio said the 2019 Clean and Green Market Competition launched on Aug. 25 jived with the advocacy of the commission to build a competition.
The 2019 Clean and Green Market Competition is open to all public markets that involve vendors associations and barangay officials, with the aim to maintain and sustain cleanliness in markets.
“Treñas is saying that with competition comes innovation, and with innovation, people will be provided with better services,” Tenorio said.
He added the national competition policy will cascade all localities all over the country.
The PCC is currently working with priority sectors identified to have anti-competitive concerns.
These sectors are concerned with manufacturing, rice, pharmaceuticals, air and land transport, logistics, E-commerce, among others.
The regional roadshow also visited Cebu City, Davao, Leyte, Bacolod, Baguio, and La Union.
Tenorio said that after Iloilo City, the roadshow will be brought to Legazpi in Albay.(With a report from PNA/PN)
