Skip to main content

Bulacan airport deal signed, construction to start December


Design study for the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan (Photo from CNN)


Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will start building a new international airport in Bulacan after securing an official contract from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade signed the concession agreement on Wednesday which officially awards the ₱734-billion deal to SMC unit San Miguel Aerocity Inc. He also gave the green light for SMC to build, operate, and maintain the New Manila International Airport as he issued the notice to proceed with the project.
Tugade and San Miguel President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang signed the agreement at the ASEAN Convention Center inside the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. The deal grants a 50-year concession period for SMHC to operate the airport, with no government guarantee or subsidies and the right-of-way costs shouldered by the private firm.
"We may be able to do groundbreaking before the end of the year," Ang said during a media briefing, noting that construction will start in December. He added that engineering works have started two years ago.
San Miguel secured the deal as no other companies presented counter-proposals to the company's unsolicited proposal back in August.
SMC put forward the new airport proposal back in 2016. It will be built on a 2,500 hectare property in Bulakan town, about 30 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila. Ang described the project as a "game-changer" for tourism — with an expected 30 million tourists flying in — as well as for the economy of Central Luzon.
The main goal is to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which has been the main entry and exit point to Manila for air travelers. Apart from the Bulacan gateway, work is also underway to expand the use of the Sangley Airport in Cavite for local flights. President Rodrigo Duterte mandated that the alternative airport south of Manila be operational by November.
Tugade said with more gateways, air travel would be more "comfortable and convenient" for Filipinos.
The planned international gateway will feature four runways and can accommodate up to 200 million passengers per year, and will sit close to the Clark International Airport. But Ang said the Bulacan gateway would be 15 minutes away from Balintawak in Quezon City, marking a comparative advantage versus Clark, which he said could take a two-hour drive.
All four runways will be completed by the fifth year of construction, which is within the four to six-year period given by DOTr for the airport completion. 
The project also involves building an 8.4-kilometer tollway that will connect the "aerotropolis" to the North Luzon Expressway in Marilao, Bulacan. Apart from this, the planned airport would also be accessible through the Skyway Stage 3 link which will cut travel time even when coming from Southern Luzon.
SMC has revealed that it will be tapping foreign builders and designers for the project, which include the makers of Singapore's Changi Airport and France's Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Source and Original Article:>>> CNN Philippines

Comments

Post a Comment
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Popular posts from this blog

Sharon Cuneta admits break up with Senator Kiko Pangilinan: "Many times! Muntik na kami mag-hiwalay talaga."

Sharon Cuneta and husband Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Image credit to the owner The veteran actress said during an interview with the entertainment press after the success of her movie 'Three Words To Forever', she almost give up with her relationship with Senator Kiko Pangilinan.  “Mega Star” Sharon Cuneta greeted her husband Senator Kiko Pangilinan with a romantic birthday message on Instagram. Image and caption credit to CHISMS.net According to Sharon Cuneta, they earned a Php6.5 million in their Three Words To Forever movie at its opening day on November 28. Break Up with Senator Kiko Pangilinan? Sharon compared her movie the Three Words To Forever with her first Star Cinema movie Unexpectedly Yours. Richard Gomez and Sharon Cuneta in the movie Three Words to Forever. Image credit to ABS-CBN Richard Gomez admits to being 'super wild' when still dating Sharon. Image and caption credit to Philippine Star Three Words To Forever is about a co...
Post a Comment
Read more

Duterte to aspiring gov't workers: "Hindi na kailangan ng civil service eligibility, basta competent at honest.."

President Rodrigo Duterte is looking for government workers under his administration who are honest and competent. File photo credit to the owner This is a great news for interested applicants who wants to work at the government under the Duterte administration. President Rodrigo Duterte during his visit at the housing project for soldiers in Bulacan on Monday said he would hire government workers as long as they are honest and competent. No to corrupt officials Duterte strongly urges his cabinet members to work with integrity. Corruption is rampant even before his presidency. “I am not nagpapapogi-pogi sabihin na corrupt — incorruptible… Basta ako trabaho lang. [I am not trying to earn brownie points and say I am incorruptible. I will just work]. I resolve to do my job properly and expect everybody who works for me lalo na sa Cabinet to work honestly also,” he said. “The problem is along the way, ang corruption talaga sa gobyerno grabe [corruption in governmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Here's why this UP Professor believes that Duterte is more Christian than Soc Villegas

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, photo CTTO Pres. Duterte's recent remark about God triggered his detractors to rage against him for the nth time. In one of his most recent speeches, Pres. Duterte said, "Who is this stupid God? Estupido talaga itong p***** i** kung ganun. You created some --- something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work". Such remark during the 2018 National ICT Summit in Davao City earned the tough-talking president tons of contradicting reactions from not only his regular critics but also, his very own supporters himself. A professor from the University of the Philippines is one of them. Prof. Francisco Pascual Tranquilino, also a Doctor, is one of the staunch supporters of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Tranquilino expressed his opinion on the issue through a Facebook post. Francisco Pascual Tranquilino, photo from Facebook He mentioned what Pope Francis, the head of the Roman ...
Post a Comment
Read more