Malaya Business Insight, 16 December 2014
 
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said has rolled out P116-billion worth of airport modernization projects whose operations and maintenance (O&M) would be bundled for bidding nu early next year.

The DOTC yesterday invited private proponents for the first round of the two-stage bidding process. The first stage involves the financial and technical side prior to the actual submission and opening of the bids.

Any clarification, including the bundling of the airports, will be discussed during the pre-qualification stage of the bidding. No date has been set by the DOTC.

According to UndersecretaryJose Perpetuo Lotilla, the DOTC is leaning towards the bundling of the airports to make it more attractive to bidders. This means one proponent can bid for all the multiple projects in one go.

The idea is to hit a minimum of 5 million passengers for the airports to be more palatable to the bidders.

The identified airport projects include: the P20.26-billion Bacolod-Silay airport, P40.57-billion Davao airport, the P30.4-billion Iloilo airport, the P14.62-billion Laguindingan airport, theP4.57-billion New Bohol (Panglao) airport and the P5.81-billion Puerto Princesa airport.

The DOTC eyes geographical bundling of the airports.

There will be two bundles: Iloilo, Bacolod and Puerto Princesa airports and the Lagundingan, Davao and Bohol bundle, if the thoroughfare is considered.

The geographical bundling would be the East bundle composed of Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Bacolod and the West bundle: Bohol, Laguindingan, Bacolod.

The proposed concession entails the O&M of the airports, as well as the expansion and modernization of the facilities to cater to future demands throughout a 30-year agreement.

The Public Private Partnership project aims to improve services and enhance the airside and landside facilities of the key regional airports.

The O&M for the New Bohol (Panglao) and the Puerto Princesa airports shall be turned over to the winning concessionaire upon completion of construction.