Clark airport exec says bidding for new terminal still open

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga – The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) clarified yesterday that bidding for the expansion and development of a new terminal for the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here is still open and has not yet been awarded to any foreign proponent.

This, even as the CIAC debunked reports that it has already contracted Chinese-led investors for the $1.6-billion terminal project.

CIAC president and chief executive officer Jose Victor Luciano said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by CIAC with a consortium composed of Chinese, Singaporean and Filipino companies did not necessarily award the terminal project to the consortium.

Luciano cited a paid advertisement which came out in the Business section of The Star last April 18, titled "US$1.6 billion Chinese investment to develop and expand Diosdado Macapagal International Airport to be premiere international gateway airport of the Philippines". The advertisement also had a photo of President Arroyo witnessing the signing of the MOU.

Luciano lamented that the advertisement’s headline "has a tendency to mislead the readers as to the degree of the agreement which is in fact non-exclusive".

"The recently signed memorandum of understanding bet-ween the CIAC and the Chinese consortium was intended only for the preparation and expansion of the DMIA, at no cost and no commitment to the CIAC," Luciano said.

He said that "the preparation of the detailed feasibility study is still open to other interested foreign proponents," stressing that "CIAC being the lead agency in the development of the DMIA, still reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal".

He cited a provision in the MOU, signed last April 11, that "the acceptance of the feasibility studies shall not be misconstrued as a commitment on the part of CIAC to engage the consortium as contractor and/or developer of the DMIA."

The consortium is composed of Beijing Urban Construction International Co. Ltd. based in Beijing, China; Synergy International Resources Group Co. Ltd. (Makati); Sum Cheong Construction Pte Ltd. (Singapore); Liberty Builders and Development Corp. (Pasay City), and ; Philippine Regional Investment and Development Corp. (Quezon City).

The MOU noted that "the consortium desires to secure, access and gather such data and information as may be necessary to prepare detailed feasibility studies for the development and expanion of the existing DMIA terminal."

It also said that "the consortium is willing to shoulder all the expenses for the preparation of the detailed feasibility studies for the project, including all expenses for data gathering, access to information and reproduction documents, including the preliminary development plan and designs of the terminal at no cost and no commitment to CIAC or any government agencies concerned".

It required that the feasibility studies be finished within 120 days after the signing of the MOU.

The MOU also stipulated that "the completed detailed feasibility studies will be submitted and donated to the CIAC which shall have the right to use all or any part of the said feasibility studies in its own autonomous plans and operations."

It further provided that "the acceptance of the feasibility studies shall not be construed as a commitment on the part of CIAC to engage the consortium as a contractor and/or developer."