Dennis Uy eyes another regional airport

MANILA, Philippines — Davao businessman Dennis Uy is going after another regional airport project, the latest addition to the businessman’s various efforts at growing his infrastructure portfolio.

The STAR learned from sources that Uy’s Udenna Infrastructure Corp. has submitted an unsolicited proposal for the development, operation and maintenance of Bacolod-Silay Airport.

The airport was one of the five regional gateways that were supposed to be offered under a bundled public-private partnership structure prior to a policy shift by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Of the five, the airport is the last to have received unsolicited offers from private groups.

An official from the airport industry earlier said the airport was the “least attractive of the five.”

Nonetheless, it has now received not one, but two unsolicited proposals from private groups, including that of Uy’s Udenna Infrastructure.

The other unsolicited offer is from Airtrav Inc., a company based in Canada which provides advisory services worldwide.

The two groups’ proposals were submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) last month.

A source said CAAP is currently “determining who submitted complete documents first.”

Uy, through Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp., in October last year secured an original proponent status (OPS) from the DOTr for its P49-billion unsolicited proposal for the Davao International Airport.

Chelsea has also submitted earlier an unsolicited proposal for the New Bohol (Panglao) International Airport, but an OPS has been granted to the Aboitiz Group last September.

For the Kalibo International Airport, an OPS has likewise been awarded to Mega7 Construction Corp.

Meanwhile, the Aboitiz Group has submitted an unsolicited proposal to operate and maintain the Laguindingan Airport, while the group of real estate magnate and former senator Manuel Villar Jr. made an unsolicited offer to operate, maintain and expand the Iloilo International Airport. Both projects are still under review.

Securing an OPS gives a proponent the right to match offers from other parties when a Swiss Challenge is conducted for the project.

Aside from airports, Uy’s Chelsea in August last year submitted an P11.2-billion unsolicited proposal to the Philppine Ports Authority for the modernization of the Davao Sasa port.

Udenna, for its part has secured an OPS from the DOTr for the development and management of monorail system in Davao. Udenna is also part of a consortium that is set to become the country’s third telecommunications player.