San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will begin construction of a brand new international airport in Bulacan after securing an official contract with the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade signed a concession agreement Wednesday that officially awards the 734 billion yen contract to SMC San Miguel Aerocity Inc.’s unit. He also gave the green light to the SMC to construct, operate and maintain the New Manila International Airport. notice of project continuation.
Tugade and San Miguel President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang signed the agreement on the ASEAN Convention Center within the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. The agreement grants SMHC a 50-year concession period to operate the airport without government guarantees or subsidies, with the prices of obtaining priority being borne by the private company.
“We may be able to lay the foundation stone before the end of the year,” Ang said during a press conference, noting that construction would begin in December. He added that engineering work began two years ago.
San Miguel secured the deal because no other company submitted a counterproposal to the corporate’s unsolicited proposal in August.
WATCH: San Miguel takes a take a look at proposed Bulacan airport
SMC submitted a proposal for a brand new airport in 2016. It will likely be built on a 2,500-hectare plot in Bulakan city, about 30 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila. Ang described the project as a “game changer” for tourism – an expected 30 million tourists – in addition to the economy of Central Luzon.
The predominant goal is to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which is the predominant entry and exit point to Manila for air travelers. In addition to the Bulacan gateway, work can also be underway to expand using Sangley Airport in Cavite for local flights. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered an alternate airport south of Manila to be operational by November.
Tugade said more gates will make air travel “comfortable and convenient” for Filipinos.
The planned international gateway could have 4 runways and can give you the option to handle as much as 200 million passengers annually and will likely be positioned near Clark International Airport. However, Ang said the Bulacan gateway will likely be quarter-hour away from Balintawak in Quezon City, which can provide a comparative advantage over Clark, which he said might be reached in two hours by automotive.
All 4 runways will likely be accomplished by the fifth yr of construction, which is the four- to six-year period set by the DOTr for airport completion.
The project also includes the development of an 8.4-kilometer toll road that can connect the aerotropolis with the North Luzon Expressway in Marilao, Bulacan. In addition, the planned airport may even be accessible via Skyway Stage 3, which can reduce travel time even when arriving from Southern Luzon.
SMC revealed that it’ll hire foreign constructors and designers for the project, including the creators of Changi Airport in Singapore and Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.
