Gov’t undertakes feasibility study for La Union airport

MANILA, Philippines - The Public Private Partnership Center (PPP Center) is conducting a feasibility study for the proposed development of an international airport inside the Poro Point free port in San Fernando, La Union.

PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao said the agency has already commissioned a feasibility study for the proposed international gateway before the project is presented to the board of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

 â€œWe have started the feasibility study and once it is approved by the NEDA Board next year we will bid it out immediately,” Canilao said.

Bases Conversion and Development Authority president Arnel Casanova earlier said that the conversion of the Poro Point gateway has recently been approved for funding by the PPP Center.

“We are confident in the expertise of the PPP Center to take the lead in bidding out the development of the Poro Point San Fernando Airport,” Casanova said.

Casanova said that Poro Point’s proximity to Southeast Asian neighbors makes it an ideal entryway for those markets.

The freeport is only an hour and a half  away from Hong Kong, Vietnam and Taipei, and three and a half hours from Japan Singapore and Korea. It is also relatively close to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia which are only four hours away.

While accommodating international flights, the airport would also serve as gateway to La Union, Baguio, Ilocos and other Northern Luzon tourist destinations.

The BCDA chief said Poro Point’s current facilities would be upgraded to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization requirements.

“An airport terminal shopping mall will be constructed similar to Changi Airport of Singapore, but much smaller in scale,” Casanova said.

BCDA is currently preparing the bidding process and targeting to start the construction of the project by 2015.