SMC says not eyeing Naia revenues

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) clarified on Friday that it is not interested in getting any share of revenues generated by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) when it proposed an operations and maintenance contract for the country’s main gateway.

SMC president Ramon S. Ang earlier confirmed that his company had submitted an offer to operate and maintain Naia. The move came after construction firm Megawide Corporation was stripped of its original proponent status to rehabilitate Naia.

“Our interest in Naia does not intend to replicate what Megawide had in mind for Naia. Our proposal is brought on only by the need to have it running effectively and safely for the Filipino people until our Bulacan airport project is up,” Ang said in a statement.

“And until our airport is ready, that task needs to be done. We are also leaving it up to the government to decide on what to do with the Naia in the future,” he added.

He went on: “Unlike all the proposals that required a share in the Naia revenues—including passenger fees and lease rentals—we are not interested in the revenues. We want to improve Naia for the passengers. We want it to be run more efficiently, for service levels to be improved until the new airport is operational. All revenues will go MIAA.”

SMC is building a P735-billion “airport city” in the province of Bulacan.

Ang said that its proposed 10-year concession for Naia is designed to give the government a freer hand to do what it wants with the Naia once the Bulacan Airport is completed and operational.

Aside from SMC, one of the country’s biggest conglomerates, the Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. (PAGSS) reportedly submitted its unsolicited proposal for Naia. [ac]