New Manila International Airport

The New Manila International Airport (Filipino: Bagong Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Maynila), also known as Bulacan International Airport, is an international airport currently under construction on the coastal areas of Bulakan, Bulacan, 35 kilometers north of the city of Manila. The project was proposed by the San Miguel Corporation and will help decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the main entry and exit point to Manila for air travelers.[1][2] The airport is a part of flagship infrastructure program of the Duterte administration, commonly known as "Build! Build! Build!".[4]

New Manila International Airport

Bagong Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Maynila
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of the Philippines[1]
OperatorSan Miguel Aerocity Inc.[2]
ServesCentral Luzon and Greater Manila Area
LocationBarangay Taliptip and Bambang, Bulakan, Bulacan
Opened2026 (Phase 1)[3]
Hub for
Coordinates14°44′24″N 120°52′30″E
Map
New Manila International Airport
Location in the Philippines

The proposed airport will be built on a 2,500-hectare coastal property as part of an envisioned 12,000 hectare township that features a residential zone, government center, seaport and an industrial zone.[5] The ₱735.634-billion airport development will cover the passenger terminal building with airside and landside facilities as well as an airport toll road and railway.

The first phase of construction on the project, which includes two runways and the terminal buildings, began on October 14, 2020, and is planned to open by 2026.[3]

History

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved the unsolicited proposal on April 26, 2018[6] and negotiation report on the Concession Agreement (CA) on December 21, 2018. Under the approved terms, the concession agreement includes a no government guarantee or any form of subsidy from the state.[7]

The project will have a final review of the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG) and the Department of Finance (DOF) before it will undergo a Swiss challenge where other prospective companies will compete against the San Miguel Corporation proposal. As the original project proponent, SMC has the right to match any bid by its competitors. The Department of Transportation, the implementing agency for the project, eyes to finish Swiss challenge for Bulacan airport project by the first quarter of 2019.[8]

On July 31, 2019, the Swiss challenge period ended, with no rival bids.[9] With this, SMC was expected to be awarded the project.[10]

On August 13, 2019, SMC tapped 3 international firms, Groupe ADP Ingénierie, Meinhardt Group and Jacobs Engineering Group (the same builders behind Singapore Changi Airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Charles de Gaulle Airport) to build and design the airport.[11]

On September 18, 2019, San Miguel Corporation, through its unit, San Miguel Aerocity Inc. was awarded a ₱734-billion deal to oversee, then hand over the project by the Department of Transportation after both firms signed a concession agreement for the building of the new airport at the ASEAN Convention Center in Clark Freeport Zone.[1][2] The airport will be fully owned by the Philippine government under a build-operate-transfer program.[1] DOTr allowed the SMC unit to build, maintain, and operate the airport without funding from the government for a set period of time.[2] Its groundbreaking was supposed to begin in December.[2]

On September 1, 2020, the Congress approved on the 2nd reading the House Bill No. 7507, granting the San Miguel Aerocity a congressional franchise "to establish a domestic and international airport", and to "develop an adjacent airport city".[12] Its construction is expected to begin in October of the same year.[13]

On September 30, 2020, SMC launched its skills and livelihood training for relocation of resident where site to construct New Manila International Airport.[14][15]

On October 6, 2020, SMC president Ramon Ang announced the first phase of the airport will begin construction and is planned to open by 2026.[3]

On December 15, 2020, it was made public that the Dutch dredging firm Boskalis Westminster was selected for the development of approximately 1700 hectares of land for the new airport. Preparatory work is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2021 with the land development project expected to be completed by the end of 2024.[16]

Airport facilities

The proposed airport will feature at least four runways, expandable to six.[17][18] It will have a capacity of 100 million passengers per year when fully built, which is about three times larger than the current capacity of NAIA.[9] The first phase of the project will include two of the four runways.[3]

It will also be connected to Metro Manila by an airport toll road with connections to the North Luzon Expressway and Radial Road 10.[18] The airport will also be connected by rail to the MRT Line 7 through the MRT 7 Airport Express project.[19]

Concerns

Environmental impact

Fishermen's group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (or Pamalakaya, English: National Alliance of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines)[20] raised concerns that the airport might intensify flooding in Bulakan and the municipalities in its vicinity in southwestern Bulacan and northern Metro Manila.

The environmental science advocacy group Agham[20] also noted the importance of mangrove forests in the area in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide, its significance as the natural habitat of fish, and that at least 670 kilograms worth of fish and other local marine products will be affected. The group advocated that the Environmental Clearance Certificate issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources be revoked.[21][22]

The environmental issues remain unaddressed although SMC has clarified that some of their activities, such as the dredging of the Tullahan River in Metro Manila, may alleviate flooding issues.[23] Engineering interventions will also be used to mitigate flooding.[24] On October 8, 2019, Pamalakaya national chairman and former Anakpawis[20] representative Fernando Hicap requested that then House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano conduct a congressional inquiry on the airport project and its potential adverse impacts.[25][26][27]

Relocation issues

Pamalakaya-Bulacan spokesperson Rodel Alvarez also claimed that there was a lack of relocation plan for the residents and fishermen who would be potentially affected by the project. This was later refuted by SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang, who stated the conglomerate will provide free housing and livelihood assistance.[21] DENR also denied that local fishermen will be affected, as the lands that will be used are from private landowners.[21]

COVID-19 pandemic

The scheduled groundbreaking in December 2019 faced a delay, which according to DOTr secretary Arthur Tugade was due to an issue over the "wording and interpretation" of the concession agreement with the SMC. The issue covered conditions on material adverse government action, which is concerned with the compensation to the concessionaire in the event the project is adversely affected by the actions of the national government, and on caps on liabilities of the government. Nevertheless, DOTr stated these delays were temporary and the project would still go on after reviews conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ).[28][29]

See also

References
  1. "San Miguel, DOTr sign deal to build new Bulacan airport". ABS-CBN News. September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  2. Lopez, Melissa Luz (September 18, 2019). "Bulacan airport deal signed, construction to start December". CNN Philippines. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  3. Gonzales, Iris (October 7, 2020). "SMC to start construction of Bulacan airport". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  4. Vera, Ben O. de (March 9, 2020). "2 major airport projects prepare for 2020 liftoff". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  5. Bulacan airport to revive 12,000 has. of coastline
  6. SMC's airport proposal, 7 other projects get NEDA Board approval
  7. NEDA Board approves negotiation report on P735-B Bulacan airport
  8. DOTr eyes to finish Swiss challenge for Bulacan airport project by Q1 2019
  9. Camus, Miguel R. "SMC bags Bulacan airport project". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  10. "SMC seen to bag Bulacan airport project this week". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  11. "SMC partners with international firms to build Bulacan airport". CNN Philippines. August 13, 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  12. Cruz, RG Cruz (September 1, 2020). "House approves on 2nd reading San Miguel's franchise for Bulacan airport". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  13. "Bulacan Int'l Airport to start construction by October – SMC". CNN Philippines. July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  14. "San Miguel Corp. begins skills, livelihood training for locals near Bulacan Airport site". CNN. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  15. "SMC starts training workers for airport". Manila Bulletin. 2 September 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  16. "Boskalis receives EUR 1.5 billion land development project for Manila International Airport in the Philippines". Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  17. "LOOK: New Manila International Airport in Bulacan proposed design released". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  18. "SMC gears up for P734-B airport project". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  19. "MRT 7 Airport Express". www.ppp.gov.ph. Public-Private Partnership Center. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  20. Such advocacy groups, NGO's, and/or party-lists with alleged connections to the state-designated terrorist organization CPP-NPA-NDF, as shown in the official website of the International League of Peoples' Struggle, founded by CPP founder Jose Maria Sison.
  21. Mayuga, Jonathan; Cabuag, VG. "ECC for SMC Bulacan airport plan justified, but draws flak". BusinessMirror. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  22. "Group to Cimatu: Revoke ECC for Bulacan Aerotropolis project". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  23. "SMC says dredging project to solve 'aerotropolis' flooding concerns". BusinessWorld. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  24. News, ABS-CBN (September 25, 2020). "'Engineering interventions' to mitigate flooding in new airport in Bulacan, says Ramon Ang". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  25. San Juan, Ratziel (October 8, 2019). "Ex-solon asks Cayetano to probe SMC's Bulacan airport project". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  26. Garcia, Angelo G. (January 19, 2020). "Why the proposed new airport in Bulacan might hurt the country's seafood supply". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  27. "Fisherfolk protest lack of relocation plan in Bulacan airport project". GMA News. August 9, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  28. Camus, Miguel R. (December 3, 2019). "$15-B Bulacan airport project faces delay". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  29. Esmael, Lisbet K. (February 26, 2020). "Bulacan airport project to push through despite delays". The Manila Times. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
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