San Miguel taps 3 construction firms for Bulacan Airport, says Ramon Ang

Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is tapping the three airport construction firms involved in the development of Singapore’s Changi International for its proposed P735-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan, its president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said Friday.

This, after Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato Solidum raised flooding and other geohazard concerns on the planned Bulacan Airport project, noting that the multi-billion airport will be sitting on soft ground and is prone to frequent flooding. 

“We fully agree with Dr. Renato Solidum of Phivolcs’ observation that proper engineering intervention measures are needed to mitigate risks such as flooding, which, as was pointed out during the hearing, are present not just in Bulacan or Manila Bay, but in many coastal areas throughout the Philippine archipelago,” Ang said.

“The airport’s design fully takes this into account and we have actually started implementing sustainable measures to address flooding in Bulacan that has existed for several decades and has been made worse by clogged waterways and drainages,” he said.

To ensure that the airport is “resilient, sustainable, and will provide the best benefits for all Filipinos,” Ang said the company has tapped three major global airport construction firms, namely Groupe ADP (Aeroports de Paris), Meinhardt Group, and Jacobs Engineering Group.

“Among the airports these firms have worked on are Singapore’s famous Changi Airport, voted as World’s Best Airport for the eight consecutive year this year; Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport in the United States,” he said.

To recall, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in August 2019 formally awarded the contract to build and operate the Bulacan airport project to San Miguel Holdings Corp. , the infrastructure unit of San Miguel Corp.

Both parties signed the concession deal for the New Manila International Airport on September 18, a month and four days after SMC received the notice of award for the contract.

Construction for the Bulacan airport project is eyed to begin by October this year.

“As a private investment, the [New] Manila International Airport will be built at no cost to the government and with no subsidies and guarantees whatsoever,” Ang said.

“In short, the public can be assured that San Miguel Corporation has studied the project, its feasibility, and all possible risks, and will incorporate these into the final design of the project,” he added.

The House of Representatives, early this month, approved on third and final reading the measure granting San Miguel Aerocity Inc., a subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., a franchise for the construction of P735-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project. 

The franchise to be granted to San Miguel Aerocity Inc. is valid for 50 years, and requires it to construct the airport within one year from the effectivity of the act, complete its construction for 10 years, and commence operations within one year from the approval of the operating permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

It also exempts San Miguel Aerocity Inc. from direct and indirect taxes and fees emanating exclusively from the construction, development, establishment, and operation of the airport and the airport city during its 10-year construction period.

At the same time, the franchise also entitles San Miguel Aerocity Inc. to generate income from the airport city equivalent to a project Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 12% per year. However, it is required to remit to the national government any amount in excess of the 12% IRR of the airport city.

“The San Miguel This airport is perhaps the largest, most ambitious, and most game-changing infrastructure projects by Filipinos for Filipinos. An effort of this magnitude requires the cooperation and support of many stakeholders. As such, we remain committed to engaging the public as we move to make this vision a reality – and make this right,” Ang said.

The planned Bulacan Airport project is expected to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which has now reached overcapacity.

The project involves the construction, operation, and maintenance of a 2,500-hectare airport in 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.

“We would like to assure all stakeholders, particularly those who expressed concerns or opposition to the project, as well as those who offered inputs and suggestions, that we value your inputs and will seriously take them into consideration,” Ang said.—LDF, GMA News