Carson City, California—Several Filipino-American leaders lauded the $15-billion international airport in Bulacan by San Miguel Holdings led by its president Ramon S. Ang even as they cited the collective and long term economic effects of a said modern airport in terms of tourism, trade, job generation, and business.
This sentiment was jointly expressed by Asian Journal Group of Publications Chairman Roger Oriel and former Pangasinan Brotherhood Association President Eddie Ferrer during the recent Travel, Trade & Consumer Expo showcasing world-class Filipino products at the Southbay Pavillon Mall here in Carson graced by Trade and Industry Commissioner Elnar and Dagupan City Special Envoy for International Relations Melandrew Velasco.
“We welcome with great pride and expectations the approval of the Bulacan International Airport as this will further boost travel and tourism to complement the booming economy now being experienced under the administration of President Duterte,” said Oriel whose Asian Journal publishes on print, on line and digital platform including the much-acclaimed Balikbayan monthly magazine.
For his part, Ferrer, who heads the E.C. Ferrer Customs Brokerage, Inc., said: “We salute Mr. Ang for his vision and derring-do attitude for investing in large scale big ticket projects such as the Bulacan international airport, skyways, and the Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union Expressway or TPLEX. Modern road networks and world-class airports are what a modernising Philippines need in the millennial times.”
The twin statements came shortly after conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) announced plans to build the country’s biggest air gateway after emerging as the winner in the P735-billion New Manila International Airport tender with no rivals by the Swiss challenge deadline last July 31.
“It is our single-biggest investment in the country. It is a landmark Filipino project that will be built at no cost to the government and with no subsidies or guarantees of any kind,” SMC president Ramon Ang said in a statement last week.
“What we hope to build is a long-term solution—a sustainable and world-class Philippine gateway with enough runways and facilities to meet current and future needs,” he added.
The New Manila International Airport project, which aims to decongest Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), will cover roughly 2,500 hectares in Bulakan, Bulacan, located about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital district.
Upon full completion, it will have at least four parallel runways and a passenger capacity of more than 100 million, or about three times the current design capacity of Naia.