Bulacan Airport to Begin Construction in October

The Department of Transportation (DOTR) announced that San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is planning to break ground on the ₱734 billion Bulacan Airport Project in October. The original schedule had construction begin in January, but was delayed because of complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ferdinand K. Constantino, SMC Chief Financial Officer, said that the airport, which aims to have an annual capacity of 100 million travelers, will proceed to be built despite the pandemic and will help create jobs and reset the Philippine economy.

San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) is the subsidiary of SMC handling the 2,400 hectare project, which includes an aviation hub with four parallel runways (expandable to six runways), eight taxiways and three passenger terminal buildings. The first two runways are expected to be finished in three years at the earliest, while the remaining will be completed in four to five years.

In September 2019, SMHC and DOTR signed the  agreement for the Bulacan airport. According to the deal, SMHC will build, operate and maintain the New Manila International Airport for 50 years and also includes the construction of an 8.4-kilometer toll road which will link the terminal to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

Although Avelino D.L. Zapanta, former CEO and president of Philippine Airlines, said “I have been skeptical about both the Bulacan and Sangley projects. I believe the timetable for both will now be pushed back if not terminated.”

Another airport project is also being proposed in Sangley, Cavite, called Sangley Point International Airport, estimated at around $10-billion.