Gov’t urged to develop Clark, Sangley as international gateways
THE GOVERNMENT should consider having two international gateways to cope with anticipated passenger growth in the future, according to the Tieng- Sy consortium that earlier proposed a $50-billion project for an airport and economic zone off Sangley Point in Cavite.
In a statement on Thursday, All-Asia Resources & Reclamation Corp. (ARRC) said the government should put up an airport in Sangley, Cavite, and another one in Clark, Pampanga.
“These two are strategically located to serve the northern and southern parts of Luzon. Those in Metro Manila can choose which one is more convenient to them which will also help ease traffic,” ARRC Vice-Chairman Edmundo T. Lim was quoted as saying.
The government announced earlier this week that the planned P74.56- billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport ( NAIA) Development Project, a public- private partnership ( PPP) initiative, is on hold for now as Transportation authorities consolidate proposals in order to make airport decongestion efforts more coherent.
This means, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) will be looking at a wholistic approach to the country’s airport woes, as well as proposals to develop nearby airports such as the Clark International Airport.
ARRC’s Mr. Lim said they are ready to proceed with their proposal to build an airport in Sangley without the government spending a single cent. He added the new international airport in Sangley can be operational within four to five years after the government gives a notice to proceed.
“It will be built by our company in partnership with foreign partners without the need for a single cent from the government. We have already signed all the contracts to make this happen. We are ready but we need the government to give its nod,” Mr. Lim said.
In the case of Clark, the ARRC official said the airport should be upgraded, while its operations and maintenance should be privatized.
“We can have two airports we can be proud of, not just one. Clark is underutilized because it really needs to have a new terminal and infrastructure for easy access. It is the one that must be privatized, not NAIA,” he added.
ARRC, which teamed up with the Sy family’s Belle Corp., earlier submitted to the Duterte administration on Aug. 1 its Philippine Global Gateway project, which includes a proposal to develop an airport and economic zone at Sangley Point.
The group also submitted a P1-billion proposal to the government to use the Danilo Atienza Air Base (DAA) in Cavite to immediately decongest the NAIA while awaiting the construction of a new gateway. However, DoTr officials said this doesn’t qualify as an unsolicited proposal. —
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