Rappler, 22 April 2013

MANILA, Philippines (6th UPDATE) – The biggest business conglomerates in the Philippines, in partnership with key global aviation players, were among the groups vying for the project involving the country’s 2nd busiest international airport.

On Monday, April 22, the number of groups pursuing the P17.5 billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport expansion project that the Aquino government is auctioning off was further trimmed to 7 from the previous 12.

The 7 groups of Filipino and foreign firms that would advance to the next stage of project bidding after submitting prequalification documents were:

    • Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (joint venture), with Aeroports de Lyon
    • AAA Airport Partners (joint venture of Ayala Land and Aboitiz Equity Ventures), with ADC & HAS Airports, Inc
    • Filinvest and Changi Airports Mena Pte Ltd
    • San Miguel Corp. and Lucio Tan group (joint venture) and Incheon Airport International Corp.
    • First Philippine Airports (consortium of Lopez-led First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPHC) and Infratil Asia Ltd.
    • Henry Sy’s Premier Airport Group and Zurich Airport International AG
    • Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure Limited. (joint venture)

The trimmed down list above shows the continuing interest of the followin

  • g top Philippine conglomerates led by the country’s richest and most powerful: Gokongwei, Manuel Pangilinan, Ayala, Aboitiz, Gotianun, Lucio Tan, Henry Sy, and Lopez.

The list also reveals who are the foreign firms and what their expertise are in airport projects. All local companies were required to take in foreign airport operators as partners to compensate for their lack of expertise in airport operations.

These include airport or aviation groups from:

  • France (Aeroport de Lyon)
  • United States (global airport operator ADC & HAS Airports)
  • Singapore (Changi Airport International)
  • South Korea (Incheon Airport International Corp.)
  • New Zealand (infrastructure investment company Infratil Asia)
  • India (GMR Infrastructure Ltd.)
  • Switzerland (Zurich Airport International AG)

Previously, foreign firm such as Samsung C&T Corp., Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (Singapore) Pte Ltd. have also inquired about the project.

About 12 companies previously purchased invitation documents for the 3rd public private partnership (PPP) project to be rolled out by the agency so far.

The Pre-qualifications, Bids, and Awards Committee (PBAC) of the Cebu Airport project proponent, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), will evaluate the prequalifiation documents after 20 days. Transportation Undersecretary Jose Lotilla said they will announce the final qualified bidders by May 17.

The airport project

The Mactan-Cebu airport expansion project covers the upkeep of old and new facilities and the construction of a passenger terminal that has a capacity of 8 million passengers per year.

Currently, the airport’s terminal has a capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year, which was breached in 2010.

The Aquino government wants to see this key airport project completed by 2016.

This stage of the bidding projecess has been moved 4x. The submission of prequalification documents was originally set last February 18, then DOTC moved it to February 27. The DOTC then moved the deadline a second time to March 22 before rescheduling for April 5. The DOTC earlier said that it pushed back the deadlines to give bidders more time to conduct ocular inspections.

Previously, the DOTC also reconsidered its decision not to allow owners of airlines to participate in the project, citing conflict-of-interest issues.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal is located in a 797-hectare property. It has a single 3,300-meter runway and a full-length taxiway.

It is the country’s second busiest gateway, next to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.

Consortium members and partners

Below are the members and partners of each consortium bidding for the Cebu airport project:

1. MPIC-JGS Airport

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:

  • ADLMS MCIA
  • Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC)
  • MPIC JGS Airport Holdings Inc. lead member

PARTNERS

  • Manila North Tollways Corp.
  • Leighton Contractors Philippines Inc. Bouyguer Batiment International
  • Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd
  • EGIS Avia
  • Pascal+ Watson Ltd.
  • Advanced Logistics Group
  • Prointec SA
  • Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd
  • Integrated Designs Associated Ltd
  • DP Architects Pte Ltd
  • Woodhead Pte Ltd
  • Aeroports de Lyon

2. Ayala and Aboitiz-led AAA Airport Partners

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS

  • Consortium members
  • A2 Airport Partners
  • ADS & HAS Airports Worldwide Inc.

PARTNERS

  • Hedcor Sibulan Inc.
  • Therma South Inc.
  • AP Renewables Inc.
  • Daewoo E&C Co Ltd
  • Makati Development Corp.
  • Obrascon Huarte Lain SA
  • Bouygues Batiment International
  • Ineco Ingeneria Y Economica del Transporte SA
  • Paymacotas Sau
  • OVE Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd.
  • Over Arup and Partners International Ltd.
  • Integrated Design Associates Ltd
  • DP Architects Pre Ltd
  • CHZM Hill International Ltd
  • Corgan Associates Inc.
  • Houston Airports System
  • Aboitiz Equity Ventures

3. Filinvest-CAI

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:

  • Filinvest Development Corp. – lead member
  • Changi Airports Mena Pte Ltd

PARTNERS:

  • Filinvest Land Inc.
  • Filinvest Alabang Inc.
  • Cyberzone Properties Inc.
  • EEI Corp.
  • Bougues Batiment International
  • CPG Consultants Pte Ltd
  • Woods Bagot Pty Ltd
  • Meinhardt Philippines Inc.
  • Changi Airports Saudi Ltd

4. SMC-Incheon Airport

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:

  • Incheon Airport International Corp.
  • SMC’s Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc.
  • Mactan Capitana Holdings Inc.
  • Skylake Incuvest & Co.

PARTNERS:

  • Kumho Industrial Co. Ltd
  • Keun Jeong Architects and Engineers Co Ltd
  • Aecom Asia Co Ltd

5. First Philippine Airports

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:

  • First Philippine Holdings Corp.
  • Infratil Asia Ltd.

PARTNERS:

  • Rockwell Land Inc.
  • Fentress Architects Inc
  • Buro Happold Consulting Engineers Inc.
  • OVE Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd
  • Mott Macdonald Ltd
  • Wellington International Airport Ltd
  • NZ Airports Ltd
  • Infratil Ltd.
  • First Balfour Inc.

6. Premier Airport Group

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:

  • SM Investments Corp.
  • Citadel Holdings Inc.
  • Zurich Airport International AG
  • Prospector Investment Holdings Inc.

PARTNERS:

  • SM Prime Holdings Inc.
  • DM Consunji Inc.
  • Flughafen Zurich AG
  • SM Investments Corp

7. GMR Infrastructure and Megawide Consortium

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS

  • Megawide Construction Corp.
  • GMR Infrastructure Ltd

PARTNERS

  • Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd
  • GMR Hyderabad International Airport
  • GMR Airport Developers Ltd
  • BL Kashyap and Sons Ltd
  • Vijay Nirman Co. (P) Ltd
  • Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd
  • Louis Berger Group Inc.
  • Foster + Partners
  • Mott Macdonald Ltd

– Rappler.com