The Aquino administration expects Philippine competitiveness to improve with the roll out of public-private partnership (PPP) projects next year. 

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda on Thursday said the change in the Philippines’ overall competitiveness ranking from 39th to 41st and score from 56.526 to 63.291 was “a big jump from the previous years."

The Palace official was referring to the The World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) prepared by the International Institute for Management and Development (IMD), showed the Philippines dropping two notches from its position last year. Fifty-nine countries were surveyed for the report.

The IMD ranked the Philippines 29th in economic performance, 37th in government efficiency, 31st in business efficiency, and 57th in infrastructure.

Lacierda said government is taking some time doing the feasibility studies for the PPP projects.

“Once we are able to roll out the PPP, we believe — and we are very confident — that our rankings will increase dramatically," he said.

The bidding for the PPP projects will likely start after President Aquino delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) July 26, according to the Palace. 

The infrastructure projects under the Public Works and Highways Department will go full steam in a year or two, Lacierda said.

“We are going to preserve our roads also and that will also take some amount of infrastructure," he said. — VS, GMA News