Metro Pacific still interested to bid for Clark Airport dev’t project

The Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) still remains interested to participate in the development of the Clark International Airport. (PNA photo)

MANILA—The Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) still remains interested to participate in the development of the Clark International Airport.

MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said MPIC had submitted its proposal to rehabilitate and expand the Clark Airport despite the government’s preference to take charge of the project and bid out its operation and maintenance (O&M) to the private sector.

“I think our proposal is to rehabilitate and expand Clark. So it’s not just an O&M, but we’re obviously aware that the government would just wish to do Clark by themselves and just bid out the O&M. We just felt like we need to put our stake on the ground and see where it goes,” Pangilinan said in an interview with reporters late last week.

He said the company was interested to bid for the operation and maintenance of the Clark International Airport.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier said that it would no longer entertain unsolicited proposals from the private sector for the construction of a new passenger terminal at the Clark International Airport and just bid out the operations and maintenance of the airport in the future.

The Duterte administration is pushing for the hybrid mode of implementation where the government will develop infrastructure projects and bid out the operations and maintenance to the private sector. This will enable government to fast-track projects without the risk of delay brought about by possible lawsuits filed by losing bidders.

The DOTr will inform Megawide-GMR and JG Summit-Filinvest, which submitted their respective unsolicited proposals on the Clark airport development of the new policy.

Megawide Construction Corp., along with its existing joint venture partner, Bangalore-based airport operator GMR Infrastructure Ltd. has submitted a USD 5-billion proposal last year to develop Clark airport. The Filinvest Group and JG Summit Holdings, Inc. also presented a USD 3.7-billion unsolicited proposal for the expansion and upgrade of the gateway in Pampanga.

The government envisions the Clark International Airport to serve as an alternative gateway to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila.

The Clark International Airport expansion project aims to construct a new passenger terminal building to accommodate 8 million passengers annually as well as the construction of all required facilities to support its operations.