MCIA project facing further delay

The P17.5-BILLION development of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will be delayed further, as interested bidders have been given nearly a month’s extension to prepare the necessary documents that will qualify them to participate in the project.

The Department of Transportation and Communications on Tuesday said in a bidding bulletin that the deadline for the submission of prequalification requirements had been extended to March 22 from Feb. 27, as set earlier, upon the request for extension of prospective bidders.

Transportation Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla, chair of the DOTC’s Bids and Awards Committee, said the department would also accept “clarificatory questions” until March 4.

The original deadline for the submission of pre-qualifying documents was Feb. 18 but was moved to Feb. 27, also at the request of prospective bidders. The extra time was given to these companies to conduct on-site inspections.

Only companies that will pass the pre-qualification stage will be allowed to submit formal bids for the project, considered one of the priorities of the Aquino administration.

So far, 11 companies have bought pre-qualification documents from the DOTC. These include Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and potential partner JG Summit Holdings Inc., Aboitiz Land Inc., Filinvest Development Corp. and affiliate Filinvest Land Inc., conglomerate San Miguel Corp., Lucio Tan’s Macroasia Corp., Prime Power Holdings Corp., construction firm Megawide, GMR Infrastructure, the Lopezes’ First Philippine Holdings Corp. and SM Investments Corp.

South Korea’s Samsung C&T Corp., Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, audit firm SG&V Co., investment firm Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Singapore’s Changi Airports International and France’s Aeroport de Lyon have also inquired about the project.

The Mactan-Cebu airport project will involve the construction of a passenger terminal building with a capacity of eight million passengers a year.

The bidding winner will also be responsible for the upkeep and operations of the existing terminal.

The DOTC, citing potential conflicts of interest, earlier declared the MCIA project off-limits to firms with stakes in airlines.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya later ordered a revision of the rules, allowing  the participation of airline operators provided their in any consortium would be limited to 33 percent.

The changes were made after affected parties—San Miguel Corp. and JG Summit Holdings, owners of flag carrier Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, respectively—appealed for reconsideration of the rule, saying the restriction would make the bidding process uncompetitive.

MPIC chair Manuel V. Pangilinan earlier said talks between MPIC and JG Summit for a potential partnership had progressed and they were nearing an agreement.

Pangilinan said MPIC would form a consortium with JG Summit and a third partner, most likely a foreign company experienced in operating airports, for the project.