MANILA, Philippines – The state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) announced they will undertake the construction and development of Clark International Airport.
BCDA president and chief executive Arnel Casanova wrote to Transportation and Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas to map out its plans and strategies for major infrastructures under BCDA’s ownership and mandate such as the Clark International Airport.
BCDA said the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) and the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) supported the initiative of the BCDA to spearhead the construction and development of the Clark International Airport.
CIAC will focus on its expertise in operating the airport and attracting airlines to move to Clark thereby creating the traffic demand while BCDA shall build the infrastructure using its legal mandate, experienced team of engineers, and financial capacity.
“We welcome the resolution passed by the CIAC Board for the BCDA to take the lead in the development of the Clark International Airport while the CDC Board, on the other hand supported the move,” Casanova said. He added that the BCDA Board accepted the task to fulfill its mandate. This brings the two BCDA subsidiaries united under BCDA’s wings.
“The only way to build this vital airport terminal is through teamwork and leveraging on each other strengths. We want to be a team under the guidance and leadership of Sec. Roxas. We have a very short window to make this happen and we want to do it now with the unity of purpose and singular focus in delivering the infrastructure which our country needs for a long time,” Casanova stated.
Casanova said the BCDA has the legal authority, core competence and the financial capability to undertake a mega project such as the expansion and development of the Clark International Airport.
Casanova emphasized that the BCDA owns the properties and assets of the CIAC and CDC which gives it legal authority to undertake the development of the airport. “The CDC and the CIAC are 100 percent subsidiaries of the BCDA,” he said.
“We undertook most of our development projects via public-private partnership (PPP),” Casanova said. “BCDA has the financial muscle to fund big ticket projects,” he added. Moreover, we want to show that the Filipinos are capable of implementing projects with transparency, integrity, quality, at the best cost and on time which is doable under the Aquino administration.
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By: Ma. Elisa P. Osorio
Source: The Philippine Star, October 22, 2011
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