Philippines’ San Miguel to build US$14.5 billion airport in Bulacan

The conglomerate has proposed to build an airport in northern Manila that will cater to 100 million passengers annually, three times that of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s capacity

The project will support President Rodrigo Duterte’s US$180 billion infrastructure modernisation plan that includes roads, bridges, ports and a subway

Reading Time:2 minutes

Travellers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:30pm, 31 Jul 2019Updated: 11:04am, 1 Aug 2019

Philippine conglomerate San Miguel Corp is set to win a contract to build and operate an airport project worth 735.6 billion pesos (US$14.5 billion) aimed at decongesting Manila’s ageing facility, a government official said on Wednesday.

The new international airport, the Philippines’ largest transport project to date, will support President Rodrigo Duterte’s ambitious US$180 billion infrastructure modernisation programme that includes roads, bridges, ports, and the country’s first subway.

San Miguel’s unsolicited bid went unchallenged following a two-month period for companies to buy and submit Swiss challenge documents, Giovanni Lopez, chairman of the transport ministry’s bids and awards committee, told reporters.

Ramon Ang, president and chief operating officer of San Miguel Corp. File photo: SCMP

“It is our single biggest investment in our country,” San Miguel President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang said in a statement. “The airport will be built at no cost to government, and with no subsidies or guarantees,” he added.

The Philippine conglomerate has proposed building and operating an international airport in Bulacan province, north of the country’s capital.

The airport will be designed to cater to 100 million passengers annually, compared with the 31-million-passenger capacity of the existing main gateway.