7 conglomerates interested in Sangley airport

MANILA, Philippines — At least seven companies, including conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the Villar Group and Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia, have expressed their interest in teaming up with the provincial government of Cavite for a $10-billion project that would transform the Sangley Airport into a world-class international gateway.

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla told The STAR that a total of seven firms have purchased bid documents for the Sangley Point International Airport Project as the deadline for interested parties to buy the said documents lapsed on Monday.

The seven companies are MPIC, MacroAsia Properties Development Corp., Prime Holdings of real estate magnate and former Sen. Manuel B. Villar Jr., Philippine Airport Ground Solutions Inc., Langham Properties Inc., Chinese Communications Construction Co., and Mosveldtt Law Offices. 

Only companies which have purchased the bid documents are qualified to submit proposals until Nov. 25, which is the deadline the Cavite government has set for the submission of offers.

The bid documents came at a cost of P1 million.

“If they don’t buy the RFP (request for proposal), then they can’t participate or bid,” Remulla said.

Some of the country’s biggest conglomerates such as the Metro Pacific group of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, DMCI of the Consunji family, Ayala Corp., and the SM Group were earlier identified by Remulla as having taken interest in the Sangley Airport project.

Of these, however, only Metro Pacific actually purchased the bid documents.

The Cavite government has decided to pursue the project under the Public-Private Partnership Code, which will no longer require the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority for implementation.

The winning bidder will undertake the construction of the airport and its facilities. It will also be the one who would choose who will operate and maintain the airport.

Remulla said the winning bidder should be awarded before the year ends as the project is expected to break ground by Jan. 15 next year.

The provincial government of Cavite is the lead proponent and implementing agency of the project in support of the Department of Transportation’s multi-airport strategy to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main international gateway.

The 1,500-hectare master-planned international airport hub will feature four runways, airside and landside facilities and can accommodate up to 130 million passengers annually.

Its first runway is expected to be completed in three years or by 2022 as part of the project’s first phase. The second phase of development will follow with target completion on 2028.