MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday pushed for more public-private projects as he led the opening of the new terminal building of Clark International Airport in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
“This is a perfect example of what government and the private sector can do,” the president said, referring to the airport project that was undertaken by a private consortium among JG Summit Holdings, Filinvest Development Corp., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd.
The P12.55-billion project involves the construction of a new passenger terminal building with a capacity of 8 million passengers per annum.
The consortium, now named Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp., will operate and maintain the airport for 25 years from 2019, or until 2044.
Marcos said such public-private projects were “the kind of activity that we were actively endorsing when we were in New York and talking to possible investors… This is exactly the kind of partnership that we need to encourage.”
“We need this, we need more,” the chief executive said. “We have many plans for the airport in Manila. We have many plans for the airport surrounding Manila so that the entry of visitors will increase and be easier.”
The government, he said, would also push for the development of regional airports in the country to spur economic development in the countryside.
“The general idea that [Tourism] Secretary Christina [Garcia-Frasco] and the Cabinet and I have come to is that while we have not yet improved our airport in Manila, while we have not yet started operations in our airport in Bulacan and Sangley, our proposal is to open our regional airports,” he said.
The President promised potential investors that the government was “willing to change in terms of documentations, procedure, even structure, even legislation to encourage you to come to the Philippines.”
Upon its completion in 2025, four more passenger terminals are expected to be completed at Clark International (airport code: CRK) which is being developed to become one of the country’s first aerotropolises.
“This facility is essentially a very strong signal that yes, indeed, we are open for business. We just opened a new terminal. It is state-of-the-art, and this is one of the things that we will continue to do in the future to bring you all to come and be partners with the Philippines to help the lives of our people to help the Philippine economy,” he said. (Nestor Corrales © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
