“JICA’s recommendation means that, in effect, the new Sangley airport will be NAIA’s third runway until greater expansion can be made in the long term. Meanwhile, upgrading Sangley’s existing airport may be done faster and at a lower cost, as initial reclamation will be needed for only one to two runways, instead of three to four,” said Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya.

Mr. Abaya added that this will significantly bring down JICA’s initial ballpark estimate of $10 billion to build a four-runway airport in Sangley Point.

For 2025 onwards, the government will have two options: to close NAIA once Sangley Point is expanded into a four-runway airport or to retain the dual-airport system and develop Sangley Point into a two- to three-runway airport, a statement by the Transportation and Communications department said.

In 2011, the Japanese agency identified eight potential sites for new international gateways, which are Angat-Pandi-Bustos; Obando; North Manila Bay; Central Manila Bay; Sangley Point; San Nicholas Shoals; West Laguna Lake; and Rizal-Talim Island. The agency ranked each site based on criteria such as catchment area, navigation risk, natural hazard risk and accessibility.

Last month, JICA presented the results of its analysis to Mr. Abaya and Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, showing that Sangley Point ranked first, followed by West Laguna Lake and Central Manila Bay.

The department’s next step is to prepare a feasibility study for the Sangley Point proposal, set to be completed by 2015.

Mr. Abaya clarified that his department has yet to finalize its overall airport strategy before submitting a formal presentation to President Benigno S. C. Aquino III. The department also said it is open to other proposals, including those by the San Miguel group.

SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang submitted plans for the $10-billion airport project last May 14 to the Office of the President, with the conglomerate also telling the bourse that the build-operate-transfer project would be located along the Manila-Cavite coastal road and waterfront reclamation site in Parañaque and Las Piñas.

The existing NAIA has a 3.4-kilometer primary runway, but poor air congestion has prompted the government to study the feasibility of building a second runway, with a length of 2.3 kilometers.

Last year, All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp., with the Solar Group as lead local partner, presented an unsolicited full-feasibility study on locating an airport at Cavite’s Sangley Point.

“In the meantime, we will continue upgrading NAIA and encouraging the rapid growth of Clark International Airport, which we still see developing into a major international gateway in the long-term, alongside our plans for NAIA and Sangley Point,” Mr. Abaya said. — Chrisee Jalyssa V. Dela Paz

Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Sangley-proposed-as-3rd-NAIA-runway&id=90849