Cavite starts search for new Sangley partner

MANILA, Philippines — The provincial government of Cavite has kicked-off anew its search for a new partner for the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) project after the airport deal previously awarded to the tandem of Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. and China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) was terminated last month.

The local government of Cavite yesterday published an invitation for interested parties to submit proposals for the competitive selection of its joint venture partner for the SPIA project.

“The provincial government of Cavite is again inviting qualified firms to submit joint venture proposals for the development of the Sangley Point International Airport Project,” it said.

Prospective bidders are given one month, from March 1 to March 30, to purchase the bid documents which will contain instructions, draft joint venture and development agreement, as well as project feasibility study, including schedules and updates.

The documents can be accessed for a non-refundable participation fee of P1 million. Companies which have bought the bid documents during the first competitive selection process launched in October 2019 are required to submit a new expression of intent and pay P25,000.

The local government of Cavite has set the deadline for the submission of joint venture proposals on May 4.

“The province of Cavite reserves the right to accept or reject any JV proposals, and to discontinue the second competitive JV partner selection process,” it said.

The join venture partner, if selected, will be responsible for co-developing the airport project together with the province of Cavite, as well as provide the necessary equity investment, debt financing, and credit enhancements.

It will also be tasked to secure or perform the engineering, procurement and construction services for the land and airport development components of the project.

The SPIA project is a master-planned 1,500-hectare new international airport development.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told The STAR last month that the SPIA project “looks interesting.”

“We don’t know enough about the project – the little we know we’ve gleaned from media accounts. But it looks interesting – not least because the airport connects to our southern tollways,” he said.

MPIC was one of the companies that purchased bid documents for the SPIA project, but did not submit an actual bid.

AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. president and CEO Jose Rene Almendras also told The STAR last month that the company would consult with the other members of the original NAIA consortium if they would want to take a shot at the SPIA project.

Members of the said consortium, which previously submitted a proposal to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, are AC Infrastructure, Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and MPIC.