Gov’t likely to put Naia development on back burner

WITH the government favoring to move main airport operations either to Cavite or Pampanga, the plan to modernize the much-criticized Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) may be put on hold.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, who is also the Director General of state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), told the Inquirer the Naia project would “most likely” be shelved or downscaled in favor of developing a main entry point in either Sangley Point or Clark.

Information from the PPP Center website showed the P74.6-billion Naia project was already pending approval by the Neda board, which is chaired by the President. According to the PPP Center, the Naia development project is supposed to “improve, upgrade and enhance the operational efficiencies of all existing terminals of the Naia covering both landside and airside (except air traffic services), to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization standards and develop the main gateway airport of the Philippines.”

Naia had figured in a number of passenger surveys as among the world’s “worst” airports.

In his first State of the Nation Address last week, President Duterte disclosed plans to decongest Naia by tapping either Sangley Point or Clark—the latter if there was a fast rail system connecting to Metro Manila.

Neda Deputy Director General Rolando G. Tungpalan also told the Inquirer last week the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC)-Cabinet Committee (CabCom) would meet this week to tackle the P1.6-billion second phase of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) civil registry system, the bidding process for which started in June.

Unisys Public Sector Services Corp. was the lone firm to submit a bid for the second phase of the project, the PSA’s first public-private partnership (PPP) project. The PPP Center had said a lone bid for any PPP project would have to get the Neda Board’s approval.

The ICC-CabCom and the Neda Infrastructure Committee recommend PPP and other infrastructure projects for the Neda Board’s approval.

Latest data shows 17 PPP projects worth a total of P580 billion are up for bidding next year. These include six airport projects and two Light Rail Transit lines.