APD | New terminal building at clark international airport takes off

By APD writer Melo M. Acuña

MANILA,March.27(APD) – Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said to complement the New Clark City, the country’s first “smart” city in the country, the new terminal building’s construction at Clark International Airport is expected to be completed ahead of schedule.

In his remarks at a press briefing at Clark International Airport, Secretary Dominguez said the project is the first of the Duterte Administration’s hybrid infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program.

“This is the fastest to be implemented by the national government and incidentally by the private sector, setting the template for all the other projects of our strategic infrastructure program,” Secretary Dominguez said.

He added the new terminal building won approval from the National Economic and Development Board chaired by President Duterte himself in June 2017.  He explained after six months, the project broke ground and now 56 percent complete.

“We are looking forward to this project’s completion ahead of schedule by mid-2020,” he explained.  He said from what he recalls, in the case of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport rehabilitation project, the original proponent status was granted to the NAIA Consortium in September 2018.  However, he lamented the project has not begun.

He noted the private sector Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects “take too long to implement.” 

“The Duterte Administration has no time, we only have six years in our administration, and we want to move as fast as we can,” he emphasized.

Speaking of the Clark International Airport project, Secretary Dominguez said some credit will have to be given to the political will to get things done. 

“People have to remember that when projects are delayed, the ones who suffer are the people,” he added underscoring the need to make Public-Private Partnership into Public-Private Partnership for the People.

He admitted the Clark International Airport expansion has been on the government’s drawing board for 20 years.

He also shared his optimism Clark International Airport will be the next premier gateway of the Philippines, “helping to clear the congestion that plagues the Manila airport,” as the facility will be the foundation for the rapid development of other districts of Clark and its posed to become the investment center in Asia.

The finance secretary said in accordance with the fast and sure approach to rapid infrastructure modernization, all contracts and bidding procedures were made with full transparency and accountability.

“This is not only a model for rapid implementation of projects.  It is also a model for effective governance in the modern age,” he concluded. 

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)