No crowding of airports in Metro seen

President Duterte’s chief adviser on infrastructure development does not see any crowding of airports to be built around Metro Manila even after the government approved a number of tycoons’ proposals to bankroll these projects.

“The country desperately needs more airports, especially in and around the capital. And I see Bulacan as complementing Clark—that’s why it’s called New Manila International Airport because it’s really meant to be the alternative or replacement to Naia (Ninoy Aquino International Airport),” presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects Vivencio B. Dizon told members of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) recently.

The government had given the go-ahead to San Miguel Holdings Corp.’s P735.6-billion New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan alongside the ongoing improvements at the Clark International Airport through its soon-to-open new passenger terminal.

Also, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board chaired by the President last month approved the P102-billion proposal of the so-called Naia Consortium comprised of seven tycoons, which, in partnership with a unit of Singapore’s Changi Airport Group, will modernize, expand and operate the country’s main gateway over a 15-year concession period.

Naia Consortium groups Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia Emerging Dragon, Ayala Corp., Filinvest Development, JG Summit and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

“I think the vision of the government is for Naia to have a life of not more than 15 years—this is why under the unsolicited proposal of the consortium of seven [corporations], what they have been given is only a 15-year concession,” said Dizon, who is also president and chief executive of state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Dizon nonetheless said that given the huge population in Metro Manila and Luzon of about 60 million, “we need multiple airports” on the country’s biggest island.

The province of Cavite is also moving forward with its plan to build an international airport in Sangley Point, where a consortium led by China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. and taipan Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. submitted the sole joint-venture offer last week.