Gov’t opens bidding for Clark Airport terminal

MANILA, Philippines -  The government is set to launch the bidding process for the construction of the new passenger terminal building of Clark International Airport within the month. 

“We will open the tender this month,” Bases Conversion and Development Authority president Vivencio Dizon said during the signing ceremony Tuesday between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. 

Dizon said the construction of the passenger terminal building of the Clark International Airport, amounting to P12.55 billion, would be funded by government.

The project aims to have a passenger terminal which could accommodate eight million passengers per annum. 

“The Clark Airport new terminal will be the first of the hybrid PPP (public-private partnership) model under the Duterte administration where the government builds it and then the private sector will maintain and operate it,” Dizon said. 

He said the bidding for the operations and maintenance of the Clark Airport would also be launched this year, shortly after the tender for the construction of the passenger terminal starts.

He said the government is hopeful German firms, which are part of the delegation for the official visit to the Philippines of German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Secretary Michael Odenwald, would be interested to participate in the project. 

Amid congestion at the country’s main international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the government is promoting the Clark International Airport as an alternative.

“Before President Duterte took over, there were only seven domestic flights out of Clark. Guess how many now? 120. International flights increased from 100 to 138,” Dizon said. 

He said the government has high hopes more flights would be launched at Clark International Airport once its expansion is completed. 

As the government is promoting the development of the Clark Airport, it is also set to start building the P255 billion Manila-Clark Railway which would provide seamless connection to the airport in the last quarter of the year.

The railway is expected to cut travel time from Manila to Clark to just 55 minutes from two hours.

In the same event, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade signed a Letter of Intent with Odenwald to undertake activities to promote maritime cooperation. 

In particular, the two countries would conduct regular talks to discuss proposals, develop and implement projects of mutual interest, hold training courses in the field of business and maritime transport, exchange information concerning investigation of marine accidents, work together in marine pollution prevention, and cooperate in the fields of ports and maritime equipment, research, training, and staff development.