San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said it will incur additional costs amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars or billions of pesos over the delays in the construction of the P734-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulacan province.
SMC president and chief executive Ramon Ang linked the delays to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to halt reclamation activities in Manila Bay.
“When President Bongbong Marcos stopped the Manila Bay reclamation, this also stopped all sand sourcing for filling materials. Bulacan airport was among those affected,” Ang said.
“We are working closely with the government to help us secure the necessary materials. If we can obtain the sand, we can start construction and aim to have the airport operational by the first quarter of 2028,” he said.
SMC initially planned to complete the Bulacan airport by 2027. Ang estimated that the one-year delay cost the company “hundreds of millions of dollars” or billions of pesos.
The Department of Transportation issued a notice of award to San Miguel Holdings Corp. in August 2019 for the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning and operation and maintenance of the new international gateway in Bulakan town, Bulacan province.
San Miguel tapped global firms Groupe ADPi, Meinhardt Group and Jacobs Engineering to design and build the New Manila International Airport. These companies have been involved in constructing world-class airports such as Changi Airport in Singapore, Atlanta Airport in the US and Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.
The initial designs, some of which have been released, envision a future-ready airport focusing on overall passenger experience and sustainable technologies, consistent with the needs of the environment and the local communities of Bulacan and nearby provinces.
San Miguel said it would also engage a world-class airport operator to manage the country’s future premier gateway.
The company is building the project on a 2,500-hectare property in Bulakan, about 30 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila, at no cost to the government.
