The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has approved the proposed $9.3-billion Sangley Airport which will help ease the influx of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Transportation Undersecretary for Planning Ruben S. Reinoso, Jr. said that the airport, which will be located at the former US naval facility at Sangley Point, Cavite, can accommodate up to 75 million passengers per year.
“We conveyed to them that we have no objections to their proposal, under the condition that they have to coordinate with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on the utilization of the air space,” Reinoso told Business World.
Reinoso explained that the proponents’ next step is to coordinate with the Philippine Reclamation Authority for the reclamation of about 1,500 hectares of land on Sangley Point before its review with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board led by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Cavite government submitted the Sangley Airport proposal in February and faced another proposal from private group Sangley Airport Infrastructure Group, Inc. However, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said that in cases where two proposals are submitted, the priority is to cater to the government-submitted proposal.
In 2015, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) identified Sangley Point as a possible location for new airport near Metro Manila following the recommendation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Other notable airports in the country
In June, DOTr opened the Philippines’ first resort airport terminal in Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
The airport, which has been dubbed as the “World’s Friendliest Resort Airport”, aims to lessen congestion of passengers and showcase Filipino creativity, ingenuity, and hospitality through its architectural designs inspired by Cebu’s rich culture and heritage.
The structure of the 65,000-sqm terminal will be created from arched beams made of glulam wood instead of traditional steel.
RELATED ARTICLE: LOOK: Passengers take snaps of resort-themed airport in Cebu
Another airport in Bohol, the Philippines’ first ever environment-friendly airport, is also set to open in August.
Some of its eco-friendly features include photovoltaic power generation system and a filtering system that will lessen pollution; geotextile sheets to avoid the leaking of drainage water; robust sewage disposal system; solid waste disposal system; stable waterworks system; and other energy-efficient features including LED lights, natural lights and ventilation, and solar panel-powered air-conditioner.
RELATED ARTICLE: LOOK: Philippines’ first eco-airport to open this year
Meanwhile, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon Ang revealed that the proposed Bulacan Airport is set to become one of the biggest airports not only in Asia but in the world.
The business tycoon underscored that the airport will help boost the country’s employment and tourism.
“It will have six parallel runways good for 200 million passengers equipped with mass transit. It will create 40 million jobs and bring in 20 million foreign tourists a year. A comparable country like Thailand with a population of 100 million brought in 30 million tourists,” Ang said.
RELATED ARTICLE: Bulacan Airport to be one of the biggest in the world, Ramon Ang says
Photo from Inquirer
