Dennis Uy’s airport upgrade plan gets support from Davao chamber

MANILA, Philippines — Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy has won the support of local businessmen for his unsolicited proposal to improve the province’s main gateway.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, Uy’s Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp. said it has received the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.’s endorsement for its proposal to modernize the Davao International Airport (DIA).

Chelsea’s proposal is under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.

Chelsea Logistics, Uy’s listed logistics and infrastructure company, submitted to the Department of Transportation an unsolicited proposal to modernize the city’s airport.

The Davao City Chamber appealed to the Department of Transportation, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Finance, and other relevant agencies “to vigorously pursue and expedite the ongoing process of reviews and approvals of the Davao Airport PPP proposal to allow the timely implementation of the project.

Chelsea president and chief executive officer Chryss Alfonsus Damuy said with the endorsement, the company is optimistic it will soon receive the government’s approval for the big-ticket infrastructure project.

“Last year, we were given the original proponent status (OPS) and now we have obtained the official endorsement from Davao City Chamber. We are grateful how everything is proceeding  according to our timeline. With the pace of the approval process, we are positive to receive the green light from NEDA soon so we can move forward with development of the primary gateway to Mindanao and the third largest airport in the country,” Damuy said.

Chelsea Logistics is a major shipping and logistics company in the Philippines.

It was established by Uy in August 2016 to act as the holding company of the shipping and logistics arm business segments of the Udenna Group of Companies.

On Aug. 8, 2017, Chelsea went public and its shares of stock were initially listed at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). The company is engaged in shipping and logistics with key segments such as charter, passage, freight, tugboat and logistics services.

Aside from Chelsea, Uy has other businesses. These include infrastructure, construction, trading, waterworks, maritime, gaming and hotels. Most of these businesses are under Udenna, the holding company of Uy.