Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. said over the weekend it expects the National Economic and Development Authority to approve soon its unsolicited proposals to develop, operate and modernize three regional airports.
“Our unsolicited proposals for the regional airports are with NEDA for their evaluation and hopefully approval. If the approval comes out soon, I think the Swiss Challenge can still happen,” Aboitiz InfraCapital president and chief executive Cosette Canilao said.
“As you know PPP projects are exempted from election ban, so [they are] still doable. The timelines are shorter and well within the rest of this admin’s term,” she said.
The company earlier secured an original proponent status for its unsolicited proposals for the new Bohol-Panglao International Airport and the Laguindingan Airport.
Aboitiz Infra also submitted an unsolicited proposal for the Bicol International Airport, but has yet to secure an OPS.
The infrastructure am of the Aboitiz Group said it would spend more than P13 billion this year for the rollout of various projects, including telecommunication towers.
The company’s 2021 capital expenditures represent a 250-percent increase from P3.7 billion it spent in 2020.
It said to support the government’s thrust to improve digital connectivity, the company would spend about P2.5 billion for passive digital infrastructure this year.
This involves ramping up the deployment of mobile network operators’ small cells into its pole network and the construction of macro towers.
An Aboitiz InfraCapital subsidiary secured a certificate of registration as an independent tower company from the Department of Information Communications and Technology in February. The subsidiary is now working on the rollout of pilot towers with MNOs.
Meanwhile, the company said P6.5 billion or majority of the capex would go to water projects, particularly for the construction of Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc.’s bulk water supply project with Davao City Water District.
Once operational, Apo Agua can provide at least 300 million liters of treated water daily to more than 1 million Davao residents, making it one of the largest bulk water supply projects in the country.
Aboitiz InfraCapital also budgeted P2.8 billion for land acquisition and redevelopment efforts to consolidate its foothold in existing assets and transform its industrial parks into smart and fully integrated economic centers.