GMA News, 15 December 2014
By Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza
To improve the services and infrastructure of various airports in the Philippines, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on Monday called for companies to go for the bundled development, operation and maintenance project for six regional gateways.
In an invitation to prequalify and bid, DOTC and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are inviting prospective bidders to submit applications to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the projects for 30 years.
The public-private partnership (PPP) project aims to improve services and enhance the airside and landslide facilities of the key regional airports: Bacolod-Silay International Airport (P20.26 billion), Davao International Airport (P40.57 billion), Iloilo International Airport (P30.4 billion), Laguindingan Airport (14.62 billion), Puerto Princesa Airport (5.81 B) and New Bohol Airport (4.57 billion).
DOTC noted the development of the airports is crucial as traffic has either “exceeded their current design capacities or is nearing the design capacity levels, coupled with the anticipated influx of growing number of domestic and international passengers in the years to come.”
According to the project description, the private company will take over the operations and maintenance, immediate expansion of the passenger terminal building, apron, other airside and landside facilities, and any capacity augmentation of Bacolod-Silay, Davao, Iloilo and Laguindingan airports.
For New Bohol and Puerto Princesa airports, the proponent will take over the operation and maintenance upon completion of construction and the development and expansion of capacity to cater to future demand.
Construction of New Bohol will start next year and is expected to be completed in 2017 to replace the existing Tagbilaran Airport while for Puerto Princesa, construction of a new terminal, augmentation of runway, and expansion of airside and landslide facilities are ongoing.
DOTC spokesman Michael Arthur Sagcal said the agency will bundle the airports depending on the inputs of interested parties.
“The intention is still to bundle the airports but that will depend largely on the inputs of interested groups during the process prior to bidding itself,” Sagcal told GMA News Online.
He said the Bids and Awards Committee is considering bundling the projects geographically – east to include Puerto Princesa, Iloilo and Bacolod and west to include Bohol, Laguindingan, and Davao.
“This may change based on the bidder’s capability to operate these airports in different building options,” he said.
PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao earlier said the government bundled the six airports into one PPP project due to the demand of investors.
The projects will be implemented under an operate-and-transfer contract, where DOTC and CAAP will enter into concession agreements to expand, operate and maintain the airports with private operators.
Concessionaires will operate the facility on behalf of the implementing agencies in line with specified performance standards and specifications.
The project information memorandum will be available to interested parties by Dec. 23 and the instructions to prospective bidders in February next year. – VS, GMA News
