• 3 reg’l airport proposals to align with Clark template

Only three proponents have so far submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) revised airport proposals that seek to align with the concession terms of the Clark International Airport operations and maintenance contract.

However, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is confident all groups with existing unsolicited offers would comply soon.

Transportation Undersecretary for planning Ruben Reinoso told The STAR that Mega7 Construction Corp. has also submitted its revised offer for the operations, maintenance, and development of the Kalibo International Airport, joining Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. and the NAIA Consortium, which have also resubmitted their respective proposals.

Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. has made an unsolicited proposal to upgrade, expand, operate, and maintain the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, while the group of seven conglomerates known as the NAIA Consortium has submitted a P102billion unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate, upgrade, expand, operate and maintain the country’s main international gateway for 15 years.

The NAIA Consortium, Aboitiz InfraCapital, and Mega7 have all been granted the original proponent status (OPS) by the DOTr for their respective offers.

OPS have also been granted to the unsolicited proposals of Prime Asset Ventures Inc. of the Villar Group to operate, maintain, and expand the Puerto Princesa airport and Iloilo International airport; the Aboitiz Group for the Laguindingan Airport; and Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. for the Davao International Airport.

Uy’s Udenna Infrastructure Corp. has also made unsolicited offers for the expansion, augmentation, operations and maintenance of Bacolod-Silay Airport and the Busuanga Airport. “They have expressed willingness to comply with the Clark platform. They are showing that they are willing to consider the Clark platform,” Tugade said.

Tugade had ordered last month that all airport proposals, except for the Bulacan airport which is a greenfield project, to be aligned with the Clark international airport’s contract.

Tugade also said he wants his agency to complete within this month the review of the revised proposal from the NAIA consortium, which was submitted last July 19.

Reinoso said the agency is working on the evaluation.