THE plan of San Miguel Corp. to build a $15-billion airport in Bulacan province would still push through despite delays, according to the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
During the department’s Transport Talks on Monday, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said there were “observations” that need to be clarified before the conglomerate could schedule the project’s groundbreaking, but “that’s not a problem.”
The groundbreaking was supposed to happen in December, but was delayed because of an issue over the “wording and interpretation” of the concession agreement signed by the Ramon Ang-led group and the department in September.
No other group challenged San Miguel’s unsolicited offer to construct the air hub, which is expected to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport once it is completed.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd has raised concerns about the capacity of San Miguel Holdings Corp. — the San Miguel unit tasked to build and run the 2,500-hectare airport in Bulacan’s Bulakan town, dubbed the New Manila International Airport — to finance the project.
He wanted a “joint liability agreement” signed between the two companies.
Tugade emphasized that the Finance department did not question the proponent nor object to the contract, but was merely asking for clarifications.
“It is by nature of putting clarifications so that the highest interest of government will be maintained,” he said.
The project also involves building a passenger terminal building with airside and landside facilities, and an airport toll road.
The NMIA is designed to accommodate up to 100 million passengers a year, as San Miguel plans to equip the airport with four runways, eight taxiways and three passenger terminals.
Depending on market forces, two additional runways are also eyed to handle up to 200 million passengers.
