Arthur Tugade to Cavite government: Resubmit Sangley airport bid by mid-year

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade wants the Cavite provincial government to submit by the middle of the year a revised proposal for the development of Sangley airport, as the government is still considering its options for the project.

“Its unsolicited proposal is still pending in Neda. The issue, I think, is still the [source of] funding,” he said.

Tugade said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is giving the Cavite government “reasonable time” to submit a new proposal.

Last year, Cavite submitted the full feasibility study for the proposed project with an estimated cost of more than P500 billion to the National Economic and Development Authority(NEDA).

Last January, NEDA returned the unsolicited proposal to the Cavite government due to an unclear implementing arrangement for the project.

Tugade said the national government would not extend help to Cavite in funding the project.

Meanwhile, he said the DOTr has not yet rejected the counter proposal of Solar Group’s All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp. to develop an international airport in Sangley Point, Cavite.

“Under the rules, if there is a government-to-government offer and there is a private offer, the priority is the government so before you talk of any other options, you should talk first to the offer of the government,” Tugade said.

He clarified that the private sector’s proposal still remains an option for the development of the airport, but emphasized that options should not delay the airport upgrade.

The asphalt overlay of the runway of the Sangley airport has already been completed, according to Tugade.

The Tieng-led All Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp. submitted a $12-billion unsolicited proposal in March last year to finance, construct and develop a new airport, to be called Philippine Sangley International Airport, in Sangley, Cavite.

The company proposed a concession period of 50 years.

Earlier this year, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) urged the DOTr to fasttrack the development of the Sangley airport to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

“We have asked the Department of Transportation to fasttrack the completion of Sangley airport because with the improvement of the Sangley airport, we can operate our small airplanes, our Q400s, which we now fly out of Clark and Cebu,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said.

“If Sangley airport is developed, we can move some of the flights of the Q400 from Clark to Sangley. This will allow many of the passengers to easily reach Manila. All our Q400s are now operating in Clark and Cebu. So if Sangley airport is developed, we can fly these airplanes to Sangley,” he said.