San Miguel Corp. said the New Manila International Airport that it will build in Bulacan province to replace Ninoy Aquino International Airport as the country’s main gateway is expected to create one million jobs during the construction phase.
The company said in a statement it would hire the best Filipino talents from here and abroad”•especially from among the ranks of overseas Filipino workers.
“Once the airport project is given the green light to proceed with construction, we will tap our best workers from here and overseas,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.
“It’s a massive undertaking. We will need Filipino talents in engineering, construction, hospitality and airport-related services. Hopefully, this will give many of our OFWs countrymen a reason to come home, be with their families, and at the same time help in building a better future for our nation,” he said.
Ang, speaking on the day the country celebrated National Heroes Day, said overseas Filipino workers truly deserved a world-class airport at par with the best in the world, with sufficient facilities and infrastructure support that would reduce delays and traffic and provide an enjoyable travel experience for the country’s growing population.
“Our modern-day heroes have been dreaming of a world-class airport for such a long time. We want to make that dream a reality for our migrant workers at no cost to the Philippine government,” Ang said.
SMC proposed to build a massive, P736-billion airport complex on a 2,500-hectare property in Bulakan, Bulacan”•just 27 kilometers away from Naia, or 45 minutes from any point in Metro Manila via multiple expressways.
The National Economic Development Authority approved the project in April.
The airport will have up to four parallel runways (upgradeable to six); modern terminals, cargo and ancillary facilities, a nearby industrial complex and its own seaport facilities right on Manila Bay.
Ang assured millions of OFWs that their comfort and convenience would be topmost in the mind of SMC when designing the new international airport.
“We will make sure that our OFWs will be very comfortable in the new airport. Given their enormous contributions to the country, they deserve nothing less,” Ang said.