The construction of the proposed Bulacan Airport, dubbed as one of the biggest airport in the world, may begin as early as 2019, proponent San Miguel Corporation (SMC) announced.
During the 44th Philippine Business Conference and Expo, SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang called the project a “gamecharger” which will be “very good for our country”, reported CNN Philippines.
SMC Chief Finance Officer Raoul Romulo said that the project is expected to be completed in as fast as five years.
Earlier, Transportation Undersecretary Ruben Reinoso said that giving the approval to the proposal is crucial as the Bulacan airport is seen as one of the possible alternatives to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to decongest the country’s main gateway.
The approval is expected to be issued by the end of the year.
Reinoso said the Php700 billion airport proposal is currently in its final stages.
The ‘biggest airport in the world’
In Ramon Ang’s speech during Far Eastern University’s 90th General Commencement Exercises where he was conferred the degree of Doctor of Business Engineering Honoris Causa, he revealed that Bulacan Airport is set to become one of the biggest airports not only in Asia but in the world.
“The Bulacan Airport will be one of the biggest airports in Asia and the world,” Ang said.
If approved by the government, the Bulacan airport will be named New Manila International Airport.
The business tycoon underscored that the airport will help boost the country’s employment and tourism. Over 1 million direct and indirect jobs will be available for overseas Filipino workers and locals during its construction phase.
RELATED ARTICLE: Ramon Ang: Bulacan airport construction to generate 1 million jobs for OFWs, locals
“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.
SMC submitted a proposal to build, operate, and maintain an airport in Bulacan. The 1,168-hectare airport can accommodate over 200 million passengers annually, more than triple than Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) capacity.
A city complex will also be built at a 2,500-hectare area along Manila Bay in Bulacan, Bulacan.
