President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a P170-billion proposal to rehabilitate and expand the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Wednesday.
The project is one of three additional infrastructure projects the President approved as part of the administration’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, Balisacan said.
Balisacan said that the proposed NAIA rehabilitation project, which will be undertaken through a public-private partnership, aims to improve the annual airport capacity from 35 million to at least 62 million passengers and enhance air traffic movement and overall passenger experience.
The project is expected to begin in 2024.
Meanwhile, Balisacan said the P267-billion unsolicited offer of the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC) was considered closed after the NEDA Board approved a solicited mode for the project.
“Now that the solicited proposal has been approved, we are now saying it’s open for competitive bidding so the unsolicited proposal is de facto already closed,” Balisacan said.
He encouraged those with unsolicited proposals to participate in the bidding.
Calls to rehabilitate NAIA became more urgent after the Jan. 1 incident where nearly 300 flights to and from Manila, with over 56,000 passengers, were either canceled, diverted, or delayed due to a technical glitch.
In May, more than 40 flights to and from Manila were either delayed or canceled due to a power outage that hit the NAIA Terminal 3.
Another project is the Samar Pacific Coastal Road II Project, which will cost about P7.48 billion.
The 15-kilometer project includes the construction of two marine bridges, the Laoang II Bridge and Calomoton Bridge, and improving existing roads between Laong Island and mainland Samar Island.
It is expected to boost the province’s connectivity and economic growth.
The third project to receive approval is the upgrade and expansion of Laguindingan International Airport Project in Misamis Oriental.
This is the second project under the PPP, as it aims to enhance regional development, promote tourism, and provide a better travel experience for air travelers.
Balisacan said that NEDA is closely monitoring all newly-approved projects as the administration prepares to catch up with its Asian neighbors on economic development.
MIAC, whose members include six of the Philippines’ largest conglomerates — Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Alliance Global – Infracorp Development Inc., Filinvest Development Corp. and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corp. — earlier said that its unsolicited offer was the “fastest route” to rehabilitate and modernize NAIA.
“Regardless of the route, we firmly believe that NAIA’s modernization requires a long-term and comprehensive solution delivered by a credible and capable party at the quickest possible time. These criteria — regardless of the approach — would best benefit NAIA and the Filipino people,” the consortium added.
A recent survey conducted by Publicus Asia Inc. found that only 32 percent of respondents approved of the privatization of NAIA. This was based on a purposive survey conducted between June 7 and 12 with 1,500 respondents drawn randomly from a market research panel.
On the other hand, the NEDA Board approved the unsolicited proposal for the upgrade, expansion, operation, and maintenance of the Laguindingan International Airport.
The project aims to integrate concepts of “green” and “connected” airports into its design and operation and use digital technologies to enhance the passenger experience. This project will be implemented by the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Worth P12.75 billion, the project supports the government’s efforts to enhance regional development and promote tourism in Northern Mindanao and its neighboring regions.