San Miguel’s pledge of no cost to gov’t fast tracked Bulacan airport deal —DOtr

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade (left) and San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon Ang officially signed the concession deal for the New Manila International Airport on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019 in Clark, Pampanga. Ted Cordero

CLARK CITY, Pampanga — San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon Ang made a commitment to shoulder the cost of right-of-way issues in building the new international airport in Bulacan, fast tracking the signing of the concession agreement between the government and the diversified conglomerate, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said Wednesday.

“Sinabi ni Ang na ilulunsad itong proyektong ito na walang government guarantee at walang subsidy,” the Transportation chief said.

Tugade and Ang signed the concession deal for the New Manila International Airport here on Wednesday, a month and four days after SMC received the notice of award for the airport contract last August 14.

Under the concession agreement, San Miguel will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance (O&M) of the new gateway. The concession if for 50 years after the company completes constructing its initial phase.

San Miguel’s P735-billion proposal to build and operate the airport went uncontested during the opening of bids last July 31.

Vital to decongesting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)—now operating at overcapacity, the Bulacan airport has a design capacity of 100 million to 200 million passengers per year, with four parallel runways planned for faster processing of flights and aircraft.

“This is going to be a game-changer project,” Ang said.

“This will benefit our people and it will create a lot of business opportunities for the Filipinos and will bring foreign tourists,” he said.

An unsolicited proposal from San Miguel, the Bulacan airport was approved by the NEDA Board—chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte—on April 26 subject to the resolution of pending issues, including the joint and several liability agreements by San Miguel Holdings and parent San Miguel Corporation.

The project involves the construction, operation, and maintenance of a 2,500-hectare airport in Bulakan, Bulacan. The development includes a passenger terminal building with airside and landside facilities, an airport toll road, and four runways.

It includes an 8.4-kilometer tollway connecting the airport to the North Luzon Expressway in Marilao, Bulacan.

“Napakagandang proyekto nito dahil mahalaga sa akin yung magkaroon ng tinatawag na proyektong makapagbibigay ng kumportableng buhay sa bawat Pilipino,” Tugade said.

San Miguel will start the construction phase by the end of this year, and begin commercial operations in four to six years. —VDS, GMA News