P25-B Clark airport project submitted to GMA, NEDA

CLARK, Pampanga – The proposal of the P25-billion airport project at Clark Special Economic Zone has been submitted to President Arroyo and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in preparation for the development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here to prepare it as the country’s premier international airport.

The proposal, prepared by the Japanese Airport Consultants (JAC), for the airport development was initiated by the present administration of Clark Development Corp. (CDC) since February 2001 upon instructions of President Arroyo.

JAC proposed the use of DMIA as a passenger and cargo airport.

Emmanuel Y. Angeles, CDC president and CEO, said that President Arroyo instructed NEDA, where the airport development project study was submitted on June 24, to officially forward it to concerned Japanese authorities, particularly the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Earlier, Philippine government officials and Japanese consultants had preliminary talks on the finalization of a loan agreement between the two governments for the DMIA development project which is expected to be signed in Japan in March next year, according to Angeles.

The CDC board of directors submitted the 2,500-hectare airport development project proposal to NEDA and the Central Luzon Regional Development Council (RDC) for JBIC funding approval.

CDC authorities also submitted last June 26 to President Arroyo and DMIA master plan and feasibility study. Angeles said the DMIA development is a top priority project of President Arroyo which she desires to be completed before the end of her term in 2004.

At present, the aprons and ta-xiways at the Clark aviation complex are under full development with a P250-million loan from the Veterans Bank of the Philippines (VBP). These sections are being upgraded for use by wide-bodied and heavy aircraft, including space shuttles.

DMIA has parallel 2.5-kilometer runways which could be extended to four kilometers, Angeles, said.

Construction of the state-of-the-art radar system here costing $10 million is scheduled to be started within one month after evaluating the bid proposals of two international radar construction firms, Angeles said.

When the development of the DMIA complex is completed, it would be the most modern and biggest in the Asia Pacific region, he added.

The full operation of DMIA will accommodate some six million passengers annually, or 19,355 passengers on a peak day (two ways). It will have 66 check-in counters, 45 immigration counters, eight airport tax counters, and eight baggage claims conveyors.