Taal crisis delays Sangley airport plan

The Cavite government has extended its review of the sole bid of the China-backed consortium for the planned Sangley Point International Airport on Manila Bay, pushing back a ground breaking slated for this month.

The decision was partly caused by Taal Volcano’s eruption last week that displaced more than 100,000 people in Batangas and Cavite, said Jesse Grepo, secretary of the provincial government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) selection committee.

“The recent Taal eruption also had an impact since committee and TWG [technical working group] members got involved in relief efforts,” Grepo said in a text message.

“Despite that, the PPP had already issued the notice of qualification and we expect to complete the results of the technical and financial proposal evaluation by the end of January,” he added.

Grepo earlier said the review and award could be concluded by Jan. 15 this year.

The decision pushed back the goal for the $10-billion project—an alternative to Manila’s congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia)— to break ground within January 2020.

Last Dec. 17, state-owned China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) and MacroAsia Corp., a publicly listed aviation services firm owned by billionaire Lucio Tan, emerged as the sole bidders for the Sangley Point International Airport project.

The airport project is the Cavite government’s response to congestion in Naia. It will require the reclamation of more than 1,400 hectares of land around the current Danilo Atienza Air Base, the formal name of the existing Sangley Airport.

The bidding has also lured criticism due to the presence of a Chinese company in what is considered a critical piece of infrastructure. Moreover, CCCC Group played a role in building artificial islands in disputed parts of the West Philippine Sea.

The Cavite government earlier gave assurances that it would take steps to ensure the country’s national security in Sangley airport, including inviting the Philippine Air Force to maintain operations there via a co-use agreement, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla earlier told the Inquirer.

The goal is to transform Sangley Airport into a world-class air hub capable of handling 100 million passengers annually— three times the design limits of Naia.

Earlier, the Cavite government said the first phase of the project could be opened as early as 2022 with a capacity of 25 million passengers a year.

The Sangley Point International Airport is part of the DOTr’s so-called multi gateway strategy to address congestion in Manila and nearby provinces.

Other gateways in the pipeline include San Miguel Corp.’s New Manila International Airport in Bulacan province and the ongoing expansion of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga province.