GMCAC seeks original proponent status for dev’t of Clark Int’l Airport

MANILA, Philippines -  The consortium of GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India and Megawide Construction Corp. is seeking original proponent status for the development of the Clark International Airport (CIA).

Louie Ferrer, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) president and authorized representative of the GMR-Megawide consortium told reporters, the group wrote a letter to Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade asking to be granted original proponent status for its unsolicited proposal for the CIA.

“We want original proponent status because we were the first to submit,” he said.

He said GMR-Megawide submitted an unsolicited proposal for the development of the CIA worth close to P200 billion on July 27, 2016. 

Under GMR-Megawide’s proposal, the airport will be developed in six phases over a period of 50 years to handle up to 100 million passengers per year from 827,000 in 2015. 

The proposal also includes development of a new 4.1-kilometer four lane access road to connect the airport to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, as well as an integrated rail link.

Earlier this month, Roberto Lim, DOTr Undersecretary for the aviation sector said the agency is evaluating the P187-billion unsolicited proposal from Filinvest Development Corp. and JG Summit Holdings Inc. for CIA’s development. 

He said the proposal submitted by the group of FDC and JG Summit in early January, covers a period of 50 years and involves augmentation of capacity of the CIA in five phases to be able to accommodate up to 36 million passengers per annum.

When asked about the proposal of GMR-Megawide, he said earlier the proposal was submitted at a time when the CIA was still not open for unsolicited proposals. 

In August last year, GMR-Megawide was informed by the DOTr that another proponent FDC, submitted a proposal for the CIA.

A month later, GMR-Megawide received a letter from the DOTr dated Sept.2 which stated the unsolicited proposal for CIA was not an original concept, and invited the consortium to participate in a solicited public-private partnership (PPP) tender for the airport. 

GMR-Megawide replied to the letter on Oct.10 saying the original concept, in the context of unsolicited project, should mean such has not been officially pursued or approved by a government authority. It also emphasized its proposal was an original concept and expressed its intention to participate in a solicited tender, should the government decide to launch the CIA development as a PPP. 

The consortium has yet to receive a response from the DOTr on the Oct.10 letter.

DOTr officials could not be reached for comment as of press time.