“With Ramon Ang’s San Miguel, Filipinos can look forward to finally having an international gateway they can be truly proud of”
Amidst all the threats and challenges the Marcos administration has to contend with this year 2024, the people at least have something to look forward to — the rehabilitation and modernization of the aging and jurassic and heavily congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The airport has earned not so flattering label among travelers worldwide as one of the worst airports they have been through.
Santa Banana, most recently , a travel magazine described the NAIA as the most depressing international airport in Southeast Asia.
With the prospect of NAIA being rehabilitated and modernized, people who travel so often, most importantly business men and foreigners, especially prospective foreign investors, can look forward to an international gateway that could compare with the best and most modern airports in the region.
Being a journalist, every time I would travel and pass through NAIA, my heart would sink as I recalled traveling through the best and most modern airports, like Singapore, Malaysia, and especially Hong Kong, Seoul and Narita in Japan, and, of course, through the United States and Europe and the Middle East.
Last year 2023, a combination of the most respected tycoons and conglomerates had submitted to the government an unsolicited offer of P267 billion to rehabilitate and modernize NAI.
But the Department of Transportation preferred a solicited bidding and went through the NEDA or National Economic and Development Authority, which offered what is called PPP or a Private-Public Partnership Program at P170.6 billion competitive bidding.
On the last day of submission of bids, the offers of four bidders composed of the following were accepted. Manila International Airport Consortium, Asian Airport Consortium, GMR Airports Consortium and SMC SAP & Co. Consortium.
Composing Miac are Aboitiz InfraCapital IncAC Infrastructure Holding Corp. of the Ayalas, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp, Alliance Global-Infracorp Development Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan, Filinvest Development Corp of the Gotianun family, JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corp of the Gokongweis and Global Infrastructure Partners.
The Asian Airport Consortium is led by a construction firm based in Taguig City, the Asian Infrastructure and Management Corp.
Other members include diversified conglomerate Cosco Capital Inc., logistics company Philippine Skylanders International Inc., and PT Angkasa Pura II, an Indonesian airport operator.
The members of the GMR Airports Consortium have been involved in airport development and management.
GMR Airports International BV is part of the group operating the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. House of Investments Inc. of the Yuchengco family and Cavitex Holdings are members of the consortium who got the $11 billion Sangley Point International Airport project.
San Miguel Holdings Corp. of Ramon Ang is the lead member of the SMC SAP & Co. Consortium.
SMC Holdings Corp. is developing the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan.
The following local companies are members of the consortium: RWL Aviation Development Inc. and RMM Asian Logistics Inc., and Korean airport operator Incheon International Airport Corp, which previously bought bidding documents on its own.
Inside reports have told me that the DOTr is inclined to give the award to Ramon S., Ang’s San Miguel for the following:
First, San Miguel is now building the P750 billion New Manila International Airport with four runways, complete with an expressway that will connect it to Metro Manila, and as such, San Miguel can also build expressways that can have easy access the new NAIA.
Together with the P750 billion Bulacan airport, they can provide a synergy.
The same insiders told me San Miguel can easily add more runways for NAIA to prevent congestion on the entry and departure of flights.
The ongoing construction of the New Manila International airport in Bulacan has been called a “Game Changer.”
If my inside reports are true, with Ramon Ang’s San Miguel, Filipinos can look forward to finally having an international gateway they can be truly proud of, one of the best and most modern airports of the world.