• Villar Group keen on Puerto Princesa airport project
The group of real estate magnate and former senator Manuel Villar Jr. looks to build up its airport portfolio soon as it pursues another key regional gateway in the country.
Transportation Undersecretary for planning Ruben Reinoso told The STAR that Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI) of the Villar Group has submitted an unsolicited proposal for the operations and maintenance of the Puerto Princesa airport.
The proposal is on top of PAVI’s unsolicited offer to rehabilitate, operate, maintain and expand the Iloilo International Airport.
Reinoso said the unsolicited proposal for the Puerto Princesa airport was submitted by the group to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) late last year.
“DOTr recommended to CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) grant of the OPS (original proponent status) so it can further be evaluated,” Reinoso said.
The Puerto Princesa airport was supposed to be part of the six bundled regional airports under the public-private partnership program of the previous administration, but it was removed from the package.
Offering the other five airports — Davao, Laguindingan, Iloilo, Bacolod, and New Bohol (Panglao) — as a bundle, however, was also later on scrapped by the government.
The Villar Group has been keen on expanding its real estate and mall empire by venturing into the infrastructure sector, particularly airports.
PAVI was among the companies that purchased bid documents last year for the 25-year contract to operate and maintain the Clark International Airport.
Villar, the country’s second richest man according to the Forbes Philippines 2018 Rich List, is into various businesses such as malls through Starmalls Inc., real estate through Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., memorial lots and death care through Golden Bria Holdings Inc., retail through All Value Holdings Corp., and water distribution through PAVI.
The group is also expanding its empire into gaming, industrial leasing and infrastructure.
In November last year, the Villar-led Prime Water consortium submitted the best offer to partner with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority for the water and wastewater project in New Clark City.