NEDA takes up SMC airport plan tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corp. (SMC)’s unsolicited proposal to build a new international airport in Bulacan will be taken up during the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board meeting tomorrow, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said yesterday.

The proposed P735.63-billion gateway involves the construction of a terminal, parallel runways and an airport toll road. The whole project will cover around 2, 500 hectares of which 1, 168 hectares will be the main airport complex, while the remaining 1,332 hectares will be developed into a township.

The gateway is expected to be completed in six years upon approval, servicing 100 million passengers annually.

“It is on the agenda,” Pernia said of the airport project.

The project was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC)-Cabinet Committee on March 28 with recommendations to the NEDA Board for the conduct of a Swiss Challenge after finalizing the bid parameters with the Department of Finance.

NEDA favors having multiple airports service the Greater Metro Manila area amid increasing passenger traffic. Development of these projects are also expected to proceed smoothly as two will be done by the private sector and one is a public-private partnership (PPP) project.

“That seems to be the common view,” Pernia said of multiple ongoing efforts in airport development.

SMC’s proposed airport, he said, could complement the proposed upgrade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as well as the expanded Clark International Airport.

“These things can go concurrently, there’s no conflict in terms of the attention because Bulacan (airport) will be handled with the private sector and NAIA will also be done by the private sector. Clark is being handled by the BCDA ( Bases Conversion Development Authority). So these are separate efforts,” said Pernia.