DOTr to publish TOR for Bulacan airport project by April

The DOTr will proceed with the awarding of project to the SMC if no other firms will be able to match its proposal. (File Photo: Department of Transportation-Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to publish the terms of reference for the Swiss Challenge process on the unsolicited proposal of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) for the construction of the Bulacan Airport by April.

“We are now crafting the terms of reference for the Swiss Challenge. Once we are done with this, hopefully we can publish this within the next two weeks,” DOTr Undersecretary for Aviation Manuel Antonio Tamayo said in a press briefing held on Tuesday.

Swiss Challenge is a bidding process whereby government allows other companies to match or even surpass an original proponent’s unsolicited proposal for a certain project.

The DOTr will proceed with the awarding of project to the SMC if no other firms will be able to match its proposal.

“If after 60 days of publication and there will be no challenges, then we can award it to San Miguel,” Tamayo said.

SMC offered to build a new airport in north of Metro Manila that will cost PHP736 billion with at least four runways and covering 2,000 hectares in Bulacan. The proposal was approved by the National Economic Development Authority Board in April last year.