Philippine Priorities in Expanding APEC-Wide Connectivity through Infrastructure Development

Well-developed infrastructure systems and services are vital means of enhancing the connectivity of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member-economies. In essence, efforts by APEC to enhance connectivity through infrastructure should be considered regional public goods since these create positive spillover effects for each member of the region, or net benefits for a member that are greater than what it could achieve if it were to produce the by-products of regional cooperation on its own. To contribute to APEC efforts and at the same time help meet the infrastructure development needs of the Philippines, this study recommends that the Philippine government elevate cross-cutting topics and sector-specific concerns as priorities for discussion during its hosting of APEC 2015. The Philippines can propose regional cooperation on investing and building disaster-resilient infrastructure, as well as sharing of best practices and lessons learned in complying with infrastructure resilience requirements (e.g., plans, technologies, and logistics for humanitarian activities). The Philippines can also drive discussions related to public-private partnerships (PPPs) by expressing the need for truly dynamic capacity building and sharing of best practices on viability studies, risk sharing, and contracting (from design to management and monitoring)--which are crucial factors in ensuring that PPP projects are bankable. The Philippines can also recommend knowledge sharing and actual investments toward infrastructure quality upgrading in the transport, energy, telecommunications and information sectors.