Sangley Point Announced as Location of New Manila Airport

The Department of Transportation and Communications announced earlier this week that it has selected Sangley Point in Cavite City as the location of a new international airport for Manila. The decision by the DOTC cancels plans recently presented by San Miguel Corporation for a new international airport that was to be constructed on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.

Image Source:All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp.
According to Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya, the DOTC has decided to adopt recommendations put forward by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency to construct the nation's next international gateway in Cavite. Officials from the DOTC said that San Miguel Corporation failed to submit an official plan for its $10-billion airport in Manila Bay.

"Our Planning Department requested SMC for a full and proper presentation of their proposal," said Abaya. Our two requests were either turned down or ignored. We won't be insisting for the third time."

Image Source: GMA News
Ramon Ang, President of San Miguel Corporation met with President Aquino last May and personally presented a plan to construct a new modern gateway along Manila Bay that would feature four-runways serving either as a replacement or complementary airport to the existing but ageing Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

"We weren't sure why there is hesitation. San Miguel Corporation have their own reasons and we don't need to find out," said Abaya. "So in the absence of the San Miguel proposal, we will just pursue Sangley."

Abaya added that the Japan International Cooperation Agency study had also considered Manila Bay but Sangley Point was identified as the best choice of seven different locations. "If you look at the JICA study, Manila Bay was also studied," said Abaya. "Among seven locations, Sangley ranked on top after all factors were considered." 

While the Department of Transportation and Communications has endorsed Sangley Point as the location of the next airport for Manila, the project still remains subject to the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority, chaired by President Aquino. Meanwhile, the Japan International Cooperation Agency continues to work on a feasibility study for the construction of a new airport at Sangley Point.

Image Source: Wikimedia
Abaya added that once the feasibility study has been completed, the DOTC would seek the approval of the NEDA Board. The Department of Transportation is also studying appropriate funding models for the project given the huge capital investment required in the construction of a new airport.

"Considering the huge cost, it is possible that the General Appropriations Act, Official Development Assistance, or Public-Private Partnership will all have a component to fund," said Abaya. The airport proposed by San Miguel Corporation was estimated to cost $10 billion and JICA estimated that the cost of constructing a new airport at Sangley Point could reach $9 billion.

Meanwhile, the National Economic and Development Authority will also be tasked with the responsibility of determining the future of the existing Ninoy Aquino International Airport pending the completion of a new airport. It is believed that NAIA will reach its maximum capacity sometime between 2018 and 2020.

To address capacity issues in the Greater Capital Region, the DOTC has identified two viable solutions that involve the expansion of Clark International Airport and the development of a new international airport in Manila. However, the future of NAIA remains unclear. The Japan International Cooperation Agency suggests that traffic in the Capital Region is expected to rise to 106. 7 million by 2040. In 2012, the traffic recorded in the region was 31.9 million.

6 comments:

  1. Hopefully, the construction can start before Aquino's term ends, otherwise, it may go to nowhere again.

    So my assumption looks like correct. My original god feeling was that SMC's proposal would not go anywhere. It's a $10B project, and Ang said the government would not have share on it, and they'd shoulder everything. Then lately I was hearing that they were looking for partners. Seriously? I know they were not serious about it, and it was just a joke. Now they were asking for official offer/presentation, and they cannot even submit it. It's very easy to say blah-blah-blah, but where is the walk-the-talk. It's a joke and waste of time. On the other news I was hearing that PAL was looking for partners like ANA, there were some rumors about Etihad airways, etc. So, I think PAL should concentrate first on their financial portfolio, and on their expansion. The ball is on their court now, and too many works to do. The EU ban and US Fed Category 2 have been lifted. It's a big stress and pressure to support it. It's time for expansion and upgrade to more modern fleets, as well as expansion to more airline partners, become network members and more destinations. Don't concentrate on building airports, as airlines and airports are 2 different things, that can cause conflicts of interest, bribery, corruptions, etc.....

    Now let's wait and see if this Sangley thing is going to happen!!

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  2. It should be in the Philippine Government's top priority infrastructure lists to give the Filipinos and tourists alike a newer and better airport whoever is the current or would be next President of the Philippines. The travelling public are fed up and have suffered long enough for decades with the outdated and congested NAIA. It should have been demolished and replaced with a newer ones a long time ago. Enough of all these talk and blame-game and get on with the job of building that much needed airport.The ship is sailing ashore again and the Philippines will be left behind by its Asian neighbours for the nth time if you people don't get your acts together.

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  3. It's not an airlines' job to build airports anyway.

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  4. SMC airport plan should revise and construct this airport on Sangley. In other words, JICA's recommendations and SMC's plan must be merged in order to make this airport possible.

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  5. What a pathetic proposal... Airport at the middle of untameable traffic monster, overcrowded location and destroying the habitat of migratory birds.
    $10B just for the airport. Not including the construction of efficient access roads/fast trains in an out of the proposed airport. How much could that cost overall? Probably $15B all together?
    I am not against any progress but please do not put all the investment and progress in one basket or basket whatever they wanted to call it.
    I reckon there are some vested interest from JICA study. Can not these people think outside of the box or Metro Manila exactly?
    How I wish to see, 3 airport system will be built. Clark will be international to cater for Northerners, NAIA will be primarily be domestic and build one at the South of Manila for International travellers to cater for southerners. And all are connected by efficient high speed rail crossing Metro Manila.
    I believe not all air travellers are from MM alone, so this will benefit most of travellers from every location.

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  6. Check this proposal made by Ramboll. It more comprehensive and address several transpiration problems we currently encounter in Metro Manila. Not to mention putting the capital in the global stature in terms of transportation infrastructure. http://www.ramboll.com/megatrend/feature-articles/gateway-asia-2030

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