Solar’s P1.3-T Sangley plan pushed

The Tieng-led Solar Group said its P1.3-trillion transport and business reclamation project in Cavite—which included a new international airport—was still the best “comprehensive” proposal put forth to fight growing congestion in Metro Manila.

The project, dubbed the Philippines Global Gateway, calls for the reclamation of up to three islands involving 2,500 hectares near Sangley Point, Cavite. It is led by Solar-backed All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp., which recently took in a partner, taipan Henry Sy Sr.’s  Belle Corp. The latter would take a 49-percent stake in the project.

All-Asia Resources vice chair Edmundo Lim told reporters that the proposal was submitted to the Duterte administration in August. It had been filed anew on the request of the National Economic and Development Authority, he said.

“The bottom-line objective is to alleviate congestion in Metro Manila,” Lim said.

He said the airport component would cost P800 billion and could be finished in about four years, assuming all government approvals were in place.

The Global Gateway would also have a seaport and industrial complex, to cost some P500 billion, he said.

A separate offer to rehabilitate the existing Danilo Atienza Airbase in Sangley to handle general aviation and budget carrier operations was also given to President Duterte, Lim said.

The submissions were made as the current administration opened its doors to unsolicited deals, a departure from the stance of President Aquino, under whose term All-Asia’s proposal fell on deaf ears.

The group’s fortunes have shifted since then. Lim said their optimism now was anchored on several factors.

First was that the proposal was guided by an initial study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, indicating that the Sangley site was superior to other locations, including northern and central Manila Bay.

The second was what was described in a recent briefing as the general assurance that President Duterte, whose approval matters as chair of the Neda board, was personally keen on the project.

Neda Deputy Director General Rolando G. Tungpalan clarified that All-Asia’s airport project still needed the approval of the Neda Investment Coordination Committee, before going up to the Neda board.

“But for the reclamation per se, PRA (Philippine Reclamation Authority) would endorse this for Neda board OK,” he said in a text message. He said another international airport proposal, the one made by San Miguel Corp. for Bulakan, Bulacan, had yet to be taken up in the ICC.