Modern gateways
Filipino workers’ skills and competence are respected worldwide. We build roads, bridges, buildings and even cities in the Middle East and other regions. It’s time to tap our local talents to build and invest in our own future.
oUr airports are the first infrastructure projects that greet foreign investors and tourists arriving in the country. These gateways serve as windows to our archipelago.
Other nations vie for tourists by building colossal structures to impress visitors. But modern airports go beyond aesthetics. Airports aim to facilitate mobility, trade and tourism—while offering passenger comfort. A positive airport experience will most likely translate into repeat visits.
While the Philippines has regained tourism momentum since 2023, many of our airports, designed decades ago, lack the capacity for increased traffic.
A positive development is the signing of the P170.6-billion publicprivate partnership (PPP) agreement to rehabilitate Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the main gateway in Luzon. Per President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the project is an “investment in our future.”
The largest solicited PPP project under the Marcos administration involves modernizing Naia to expand its passenger capacity from 35 million to 62 million annually.
The Department of Transportation, Manila International Airport Authority and a consortium led by San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. and Incheon International Airport Corp. signed an initial 15year contract for Naia, which can be extended by another 10 years.
The contract involves the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of the main gateway, with the winning consortium offering a revenue share of 82.16 percent to the government. Among the facilities that will undergo repair are old buildings, terminals, taxiways, runways and equipment.
The government expects to earn P900 billion, or P36 billion annually, throughout the full 25-year concession period. Once completed, the project will increase Naia runway’s capacity by at least 48 air traffic movements at the peak hourly rate.
Hopefully, this will raise Naia to a world-class international airport that will improve the flow of air passengers and upgrade the services offered to them. It will support the government’s ambition to attract more foreign tourists and generate more jobs for Filipinos.
I share the sentiment of Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Committee on Public Services, who described the project as a signal to the international community that the Philippines is accelerating its infrastructure development to welcome investments. It will showcase the potential of our country to operate a well-maintained international airport.
Beyond Naia in Parañaque City, the development of more gateways in Luzon, such as Clark International Airport in Pampanga, New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, and Sangley International Airport in Cavite, will give travelers more options and disperse traffic to more areas. This will help decongest Metro Manila, which is already one of the world’s most densely populated areas.
Modern airports should also be built in the Visayas and Mindanao to complement the Mactan-cebu International Airport and the Davao City International Airport as southern gateways.
Economic benefits would be amplified if these airports have access to world-class roads, railways and transport networks to reduce the travel time from these gateways to communities, city centers or tourist destinations. This will surely enhance the travel experience of Filipinos and foreigners alike.
The Naia PPP project exemplifies government-private sector cooperation in infrastructure development. To sustain such cooperation, the Senate and House of Representatives passed the PPP Code of the Philippines. I am glad to hear that the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and other agencies have completed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the new law.
With the law in place and the government’s focus on infrastructure development, I am confident that we will attain a growth of 7 percent to 8 percent in the coming years, as envisioned by President Marcos.
Coincidentally, the Philippines is in its “demographic sweet spot,”
with many young and productive workers contributing heavily to the economy. It presents a perfect opportunity to build more airports and other infrastructure projects, which the next generation will also benefit from.
World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende, who visited Manila recently, acknowledged the Philippines’ potential to become a $2-trillion economy over the next decade, up from less than $1 trillion today in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).
The WEF official said this is achievable “if there are further investments in education, infrastructure and drawing on the great competence of the people of the Philippines.”
Filipino workers’ skills and competence are respected worldwide.
We build roads, bridges, buildings and even cities in the Middle East and other regions. It’s time to tap our local talents to build and invest in our own future.