The political economy of rail transport financing: A closer look at ODA and PPP-financed railway projects in Metro Manila

• Main Author: Millete, Martin Angelo T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: Infrastructure (Economics) > Philippines > Metro Manila; Finance, Public; Transportation—Finance; Railroads; Political Economy
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_polsci/9; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_polsci/article/1008/viewcontent/2024_Millete_The_political_economy_of_rail_transport_financing_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study examines the dichotomy between public-private partnerships (PPP) and official development assistance (ODA) as infrastructure financing modalities, focusing on railway projects in Metro Manila, Philippines. While PPP and ODA are not competing but complementary strategies, this study aims to empirically demonstrate which of these financing mechanisms is optimal for delivering railway projects in Metro Manila by using an assessment framework based on three criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. The theoretical framework is based on rational choice institutionalism and emphasizes the roles of formal and informal institutions in shaping the design and implementation of railway projects. Four ODA and PPP-financed railway projects will be covered in this study: the Metro Manila Subway (MMSP) and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) projects (ODA) and the MRT-7 and the Makati Intra-city Subway projects (PPP). The findings will significantly contribute to policy formulation and strategic infrastructure planning towards improving Metro Manila’s railway infrastructure.