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THE transportation department is mulling over a plan to build an air terminal in Metro Manila—through a partnership with the private sector—where passengers with scheduled flights at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark Field, Pampanga, can check in.
According to Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President Victor Jose Luciano, the project will be spearheaded by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and will be included in the public-private partnership (PPP) program of the Aquino administration.
“We are looking at TriNoma, Centris or Mindanao Avenue [in Quezon City] for the city terminal in Metro Manila. They can check in there and there would be shuttle buses to transfer them to Clark. This way, passengers would no longer have to drive their cars to Clark. They can be transported at a very minimal cost,” Luciano said.
A feasibility study will be done by a third party before the project is auctioned off this year.
“The important thing here is that we get a location. That’s why we will hire a third party for the study. The DOTC has set aside P120 million for this and if more funds are needed then the participation of the private sector will come in,” Luciano said.
He said the city air terminal is just a short-term project and is entirely different from what the group of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan is proposing to undertake.
“Mr. Pangilinan is looking more at developing Clark into a premier gateway. But you have to look into the developments in Metro Manila. We are not seeing a closure of airports in Manila then transfer it all to Clark,” the official said.
Pangilinan’s group has commissioned the Madrid-based Indra group to do a feasibility study. Luciano said he has not yet seen the recommendation of Indra.
Pangilinan had revealed Indra’s suggestion that the Philippines adopt a two-airport model similar to Japan’s Haneda and Narita airports to service passengers coming from the rural and urban cities.
But as a necessary pre-requisite, Clark would be needing a high-speed train to the Metro Manila, possibly in the central business district of Makati City, so commuters will have a direct access going to DMIA.
The DMIA is being groomed to become the next international gateway of the country. There are many local and foreign budget carriers that have moved in to Clark. The anticipated growth in traffic has prompted CIAC to contemplate on building a budget terminal.
“We saw that Clark is able to develop its own traffic without getting traffic from Manila, and there’s a rise of departure flights in Clark. So we saw that it’s also appropriate that a budget terminal be put up in Clark,” Luciano said.
The proposed budget terminal will sit on a 40-hectare property of the government. It is estimated to cost P8 billion and will probably take two years to complete.
“This budget terminal is entirely a new one. It is envisioned to have a capacity of 10 million passengers annually,” Luciano said, adding that this will have to be bid out. “The terms of reference will be issued early next year.”
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By: Lenie Lectura
Source: Business Mirror, Aug. 7, 2011
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