Cebu airport bidders pass tech’l evaluation

MANILA, Philippines - All the seven bidders of the P17.5-billion Mactan Cebu International Airport expansion project passed the technical evaluation conducted by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the public private partnership (PPP) project.

Michael Arthur Sagcal, DOTC spokesperson, in a text message said the financial bids of the seven bidders would be opened today after their technical proposals submitted last Nov. 28 hurdled the agency’s evaluation.

The seven bidders prequalified by the agency last May 15 the MPIC-JGS Airport consortium led by infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan and JG Summit Holdings of taipan John Gokongwei; Premier Airport Group of the SM Group of retail magnate Henry Sy; San Miguel Corp.-Incheon Airport consortium; and AAA Airport Partners led by the conglomerate Ayala Group and Cebu-based Aboitiz Land.

Other groups that submitted technical and financial proposals for the project include the Lopez groups’ First Philippine Airports; the GMR Infrastructure and Megawide consortium; and Filinvest-CAI Airport consortium.

 The roster of foreign airport operators includes ADC & HAS of Houston Airport, Malaysia Airports Berhad, Singapore’s Changi Airport, South Korea’s Incheon Airport, France’s Aeroports de Lyon, Switzerland’s Zurich Airport, India’s Delhi Airports.

Transportation Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla earlier issued General Bid Bulletin 28 – 2013 announcing that the opening of the financial bids for public private partnership (PPP) project has been rescheduled to Dec. 12 instead of Dec. 19.

“Please note that the opening of the financial bids will be held on December 12,” Lotilla stated in the bulletin dated Dec. 9.

This is the first airport PPP project of the Aquino administration to expand the country’s second largest airport after the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.

Last Nov. 21, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Aquino approved seven major infrastructure projects worth P184.2 billion including changes to the concession agreements to make the projects more attractive to interested bidders.

Several key improvements to the terms of the Mactan – Cebu international airport expansion project were approved by the NEDA Board to make it more attractive to bidders and encourage more competitive proposals.

The changes include extending the concession period from 20 years to 25 years, including the operation of the apron or aircraft parking area in the project scope, and imposing a 25-year ban on the operation of competing airports within the province of Cebu apart from the Bantayan and Camotes Islands.