DOTC defers bidding for regional airports

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is moving again the bidding date for the regional airports project as it still needs to secure approvals for the deal.

“In view of the clearances and approvals that will have to be secured for the project, the bid submission date is hereby moved from March 28, 2016 to a maximum of 30 days from the date when all final clearances and approvals have been obtained from the concerned government agencies,” Rene Limcaoco, chairman of the pre-qualification, bids and awards committee and DOTC Undersecretary for planning and project development said.

Limcaoco said the new bid submission date would be announced in a subsequent bid bulletin.

The DOTC initially set the submission of proposals for the project on Feb. 29 prior to the bid submission date of March 28.

The government is offering the regional airports deal in two bundles. Bundle 1 covers the P20.26 billion Bacolod-Silay Airport and P30.40 billion Iloilo Airport, while Bundle 2 is composed of the P2.34 billion New Bohol (Panglao) Airport, the P40.57 billion Davao Airport, and P14.62 billion Laguindingan Airport.

Under the deal, the winning bidder for each bundle will operate and maintain the airports for 30 years.

The private partner will likewise be responsible for undertaking work to expand the airports’ facilities.

Five groups have been pre-qualified to bid for the deal. These are San Miguel Holdings Corp.-Incheon International Airport Corp. Consortium, Philippine Airports Consortium (Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Aeroports de Paris and ADP Ingenierie), Maya Consortium (Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and VINCI Airports SAS, ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal SA, VINCI Construction Grands Projets SAS, Therma South Inc., and Hedcor Sibulan Inc.), GMR Infrastructure and Megawide Consortium, and Filinvest-JATCO-Sojitz Consortium.

The project is the second deal covering airports being offered under the PPP scheme.

In 2014, the government awarded the P17.52 billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport Passenger Terminal Building project to GMR Infrastructure and Megawide Consortium.

The PPP program launched in 2010 aims to get the private sector as a reliable partner in infrastructure development to promote economic growth.

Since the program was implemented, the government has awarded a total of 12 projects worth over P200 billion.