DOTr, SMC set to sign contract for Bulacan airport

MANILA, Philippines — Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is set to sign tomorrow the concession agreement for the $15-billion New Manila Int’l Airport project in Bulacan.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday said the agency and SMC would ink tomorrow the contract for the development of a new international airport in the province of Bulacan.

The contract signing comes a few weeks after SMC was able to comply with all the requirements which the DOTr special bids and awards committee ordered the company to submit within 20 days from the receipt of the notice of award.

SMC was issued on Aug. 14 a notice of award by the DOTr for the construction of the New Manila International Airport after its unsolicited proposal received no challengers during the Swiss challenge process which concluded on July 31.

SMC has yet to disclose when it intends to break ground for the project, but has previously expressed interest to start development as soon as possible once given a notice to proceed.

The airport is expected to be operational within four to six years upon start of construction.

The conglomerate will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of the new international gateway, which is expected to ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main international gateway.

For the initial phase of the massive international airport project, SMC plans to pour in P450 billion, the DOTr earlier said.

During construction and upon completion, the project is expected to generate over a million direct and indirect jobs, give rise to small industries in Bulacan and neighboring provinces, and significantly boost tourism.

SMC has engaged the services of global firms Groupe ADPi, Meinhardt Group, and Jacobs to design and build New Manila International Airport project.

All three companies were involved in building world-class airports including Singapore’s Chiangi Airport, Atlanta Airport, and France’s Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Aside from the three firms, SMC also said earlier that it would engage a world-class airport operator to help manage the country’s future premier gateway.