DOTC shortlists 4 groups for Bicol airport contract

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has prequalified four groups for the consulting and engineering services for the proposed P963.2 million Bicol international airport project to solve the many limitations of the existing airport in the city of Legazpi.

Transportation Undersecretary Rene Limcaoco said the groups that qualified for the P120.4 million contract include Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Ltd.; the group of Filipinas Dravo Corp and Key Engineers Co. and Proconsult Inc.; the group of Schema Konsult Inc. and Pertconsult, International, DCCD Engineering Corp., and Philipp’s Technical Consulants Corp.; and the consortium of TCGI Engineers, Urban Integrated Consultants Inc., and Engineering & Development Corp. of the Philippines.

Limcaoco stated in a Notice of Eligibility and Short Listing that funds for the consulting services for the new Bicol airport would be sourced from the Fiscal Year 2012 Transport Studies Fund of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The government is spending P963.2 million for the development of the new Bicol International Airport for a total cost of P963.2 million.

The initial procurement for the Bicol International Airport includes only the airside development covering the continuation of runway strip construction, concrete paving of runway, construction of taxiway, rigid pavement, and other peripheral works.

On the other hand, a separate bidding would be held for the construction of the passenger terminal building and other landside components.

The project would provide better air transport services in the Bicol region as a total of 198 flights were cancelled and 104 flights were delayed last year due to the airport’s microclimate.

The microclimate is due mostly to the mountainous area surrounding Legazpi airport, which produces thick fog that often obscures the runway.

Installation of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) is not a viable option as the existing 150-meter width of the runway strip is far from the International Civil Aviation Organization-prescribed width of 300 meters for ILS.

The existence of houses and hills around the airport also makes it costly to widen the runway strip.

Besides addressing the problems, the development of a new Bicol International Airport would also support the increasing trade and tourism in the region.

Bicol posted the fastest gross regional domestic product at 8.2 percent among 16 regions in the Philippines in 2009. The region with popular destinations like Mt. Mayon and Donsol posted a 17 percent increase in the number of visitors last year.