‘Airport, toll road projects to boost SMC performance’

MANILA, Philippines — Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is seeing brighter prospects ahead for the group with major contributions expected to come from its airport and tollway projects.

During the company’s annual stockholders meeting yesterday, SMC chairman and CEO Ramon Ang said the performance of the company is expected to be even better in the coming years.

“NAIA will contribute additional revenue and income, plus our tollways, like the TR4, which is 66-kilometers from Santo Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City, Quezon, will be completed by next year,” Ang said in Filipino.

“And we are also putting up more new businesses. And at present, all our businesses are stable,” he said.

Ang said SMC’s main focus is to finish its Bulacan airport project.

“It is a massive $15-billion airport. This project is a game-changer,” he said.

Land development for the company’s New Manila International Airport in Bulacan is currently 85 percent complete, with detailed engineering underway.

“In our Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, just eight months since we took over the operation, we have already introduced key upgrades to improve passenger experience,” Ang said.

For its toll road project, meanwhile, Ang said the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 or TR4 is now 70 percent workable and 80 percent of the right of way is already accessible for construction.

“We are also preparing to build South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 5, which is a 420-kilometer tollway that will stretch from Lucena, Quezon all the way to Matnog, Sorsogon,” he said.

Further, Ang said more projects are in the pipeline to further improve connectivity and support regional development.

SMC also continues to expand its integrated food complex to strengthen the group’s supply chain, improve food security and provide affordable food for Filipino families.

In power, Ang said the group’s priority is to help ensure energy security and keep electricity affordable, while steadily shifting to more renewable sources.

“We will build several hydro facilities, including a 2,000-megawatt pumped hydro project in San Roque, Pangasinan. To provide clean and reliable energy, we are also expanding our solar project to deliver clean power that helps meet demand across many industries,” Ang said.

Petron, meanwhile, is investing in more service stations and fuel depots, while improving logistics for greater efficiency in infrastructure.