The Transportation Department said it is now seeking official development assistance loans to finance the construction of five regional airports which were earlier offered to private investors under the public private partnership program.
“We are just doing the feasibility studies again because it’s too old. We are waiting for ODA proposals. It’s better if government to government,” Transportation Undersecretary for aviation Manuel Antonio Tamayo said.
Tamayo said the new feasibility studies for the five regional airports were expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The DOTr earlier canceled the auctions for the P108.2-billion contracts to develop, operate and maintain five regional airports under the PPP scheme as the agency opted to implement the projects through other modes.
The Regional Airport PPP Projects were originally approved under a bundled PPP structure by the Investment Coordination Committee and the National Economic and Development Authority board.
The Neda board then approved the unbundling of the five airport projects in November 2016.
The five provincial airports in the PPP are the P20.26-billion Bacolod-Silay International Airport, the P30.4-billion Iloilo International Airport, the P14.62-billion Laguindingan Airport, P2.34-billion New Bohol (Panglao) Airport and P40.57-billion Davao International Airport.
The Transportation Department earlier pre-qualified Maya Consortium led by Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Philippine Airports Consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., San Miguel Holdings Corp.-IIAC Airport Consortium, GMR-Megawide Consortium and Filinvest-JATCO-Sojitz Consortium for the projects.
The winning concessionaires for each airport bundle will handle the operation and maintenance of the airports for 30 years and expand the facilities. Aside from the operation and maintenance, the contract will require the winner to expand the terminal, apron, airside and landside facilities to address future demand.
The improvements are needed to enhance passenger safety and convenience and ensure more efficient airport operations.
GMR-Megawide earlier won the contract to develop and operate the P17.5-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The Mactan Airport project will include the construction of a new passenger terminal and renovation of the existing one, as well as the provision of new commercial facilities. This would increase passenger capacity to 12.5 million a year.
The project will be developed under a 25-year concession agreement for the operation of both terminals and commercial outlets. Project completion is expected by 2018.
