The Department of Transportation said two airport development projects are being prioritized to complement the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Clark International Airport.
The agency said it was pushing for the construction of a new airport in Bulacan province and developing the Sangley airport in Cavite province to decongest Naia, give travelers more options and spread development across Luzon.
“The idea of having multiple airports is something that the world’s biggest economies do. Ideally, there should be a train service linking these airports, which is also being pursued by the government. This complementation strategy was already part of the air transport roadmap from day one, and rest assured, that’s what we are going to do,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
The new Bulacan airport, an unsolicited proposal from San Miguel Holdings Corp., was approved by the board of the National Economic and Development Authority on April 25, subject to resolution of pending issues, including a submission of “Joint and Several Liability” agreement by SMHC and its parent company.
After submitting the revised concession agreement, along with the risk allocation matrix, the Neda and the Department of Finance submitted their comments on August 9 for consideration of SMHC.
The DOTr will then start negotiations with SMHC to finalize the draft concession agreement and submit the same to the Neda ICC, and finally begin the Swiss Challenge process.
Sought for comment, San Miguel confirmed having received the consolidated comments of the DoF and Neda on the draft concession agreement for the New Manila International Airport on August 22.
“SMC is looking forward to completing the process, and finalizing the agreement with DOTr at the soonest time possible,” San Miguel said.
“SMC truly welcomes this development, as it brings the company another step closer to making the NMIA—the largest, most ambitious and most modern airport infrastructure project in the country—a reality,” it added.
The proposal includes the building of four parallel runways and a passenger terminal with a capacity of 100 million a year.
The DOTr also welcomed the proposal of the provincial government of Cavite to develop the Sangley Airport. The approval process, however, will be defined after Cavite has determined the legal framework of the implementation.
While these projects are being developed, the Manila International Airport Authority board approved the grant of an original proponent status to the Naia Consortium for Naia’s rehabilitation project. The concession period will run for 15 years.
Tugade added that apart from these airports in Luzon, several others are undergoing various stages of implementation. Among them is the new Bohol (Panglao) airport, which will be opened within the year. The Bicol International Airport in Albay is also being constructed after 11 years of delay. The Siargao and Bukidnon airport are also in the works.