The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board on Wednesday declared as closed the unsolicited mode by which the Manila International Airport may be rehabilitated and paved the way for the solicited mode to come into effect.
With that avenue now de facto closed, the NEDA chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the solicited proposal to rehabilitate, operate, expand, and transfer the Ninoy Aquino International Airport project, also known as the Solicited NAIA PPP Project.
“Now that the solicited proposal has been approved, we are now saying it’s open for competitive bidding so the unsolicited proposal is de facto closed,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
According to Balisacan, those planning to come under the unsolicited are encouraged to shift and expressed the hope that they will “participate in the solicited mode” of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) program.
The Manila International Airport Consortium or MIAC, whose members include six of the country’s largest conglomerates, namely Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global – Infracorp Development Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation earlier said its unsolicited offer represented the “fastest route” to rehabilitate and modernize the NAIA.
“MIAC is one with the government on its infrastructure priorities, and is aligned with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and NEDA’s commitment to the urgent task of revitalizing NAIA given its importance as the country’s main international gateway,” the consortium said in a statement.
The MIAC also said it is united with the government on the mission to deliver a better NAIA for the country.
“Regardless of the route, we firmly believe that NAIA’s modernization requires a long-term and comprehensive solution delivered by a credible and capable party at the quickest possible time. These criteria – regardless of the approach – would best benefit NAIA and the Filipino people,” the consortium said.
The solicited NAIA PPP project is under the Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority.
With a total project cost of P170.6 billion, it seeks to address longstanding issues at the NAIA, such as the inadequate capacity of the passenger terminal buildings and restricted aircraft movement in its environs. The transformation aims to increase its current annual capacity from 35 million to at least 62 million passengers.
More particularly, the NAIA PPP aims to increase air traffic movement from 40 to 48 per hour and optimize the overall passenger experience and service quality by preventing long queues, lengthy waiting times and other passenger inconveniences.
The NEDA Board similarly approved the unsolicited proposal for the upgrade, expansion, operation, and maintenance of the Laguindingan International Airport Project, known as the Unsolicited Laguindingan Airport PPP Project, located in Misamis Oriental.
The project aims to integrate concepts of “green” and “connected” airports into its design and operation and use digital technologies to enhance the passenger experience. This project will be implemented by the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Worth P12.75 billion, the project helps boost regional development and promote tourism in Northern Mindanao and nearby regions.
Another project also approved by the NEDA Board relates to the Samar Pacific Coastal Road II project costing P7.48 billion and involves the construction of two marine bridges, the Laoang II Bridge and Calomotan Bridge.
It will improve existing roads between Laoang Island and mainland Samar Island 15 kilometers long.
The NEDA Board also confirmed the proposed adoption of a national policy on infrastructure sector master plans.
“The policy aims to harmonize and rationalize the formulation of master plans for the infrastructure sector across the government,” NEDA Secretary Aresenio Balisacan said.
This is to ensure that the master plans are coordinated, synergistic, responsive to the emerging issues, and consistent with the sector’s priority development strategies. Following this confirmation, an executive order will be issued to strengthen its implementation nationwide,” he said.
