DOTr sets April 30 deadline in talks with NAIA Consortium

FILE: Facade of Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. (Photo By Mithril Cloud at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is eyeing to drop its negotiations with a consortium that is planning to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino Aquino International Airport (NAIA) if no deal is reached by April 30.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the talks with the NAIA Consortium have been dragging, resulting to delays in the rehabilitation of the airport.

“Tumatagal na ang usapan kaya ang sinasabi ko gusto ka nang lagyan ng cap. By April 30 kapag di pa tayo nagkasundo-sundo gagawan na namin ang proyekto at DOTr ang ia-assign at itutuloy na eto (The talks have been dragging and I want to already put a cap. By April 30, if we haven’t reached an agreement, we will be the one to do this project. The Department of Transportation will be assigned and we will do it),” Tugade said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Tugade said among the contentious issues that are needed to be settled is the NAIA Consortium’s proposed automated people mover that will be installed within the airport.

He said the NAIA Consortium must submit details on improvements they are planning to implement in NAIA.

“They are proposing many improvements such as the people mover. They must quickly submit their proposal,” Tugade said.

The DOTr granted the original proponent status in September last year to the NAIA Consortium on its proposed PHP102-billion NAIA rehabilitation project.

Asked if the department will consider a similar proposal by Megawide Corporation, Tugade said: “We will cross the bridge when we get there,”

NAIA Consortium spokesperson Jimbo Reverente, meanwhile, said they will comply with the April 30 deadline set by Tugade.

The NAIA Consortium’s proposal involves the expansion and interconnection of the existing NAIA terminals, upgrade of airside facilities, development of commercial facilities to ensure efficient airline and airport operations, enhancing passenger comfort and experience, and elevating the status of NAIA as the country’s premier international gateway.

The consortium consists of seven companies namely Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp.

; Alliance Global Group, Inc.; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp.; Filinvest Development Corp.; JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.