GMR to develop Sangley Airport

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has secured a commitment from Indian infrastructure giant GMR Group to develop the Sangley Aerocity and the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA), while Tata Group outlined plans to expand in the country.

In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the commitment was made during President Marcos’ recent meeting with GMR Group business chairman (energy and international airports) Srinivas Bommidala and the firm’s local local partners, Cavitex Holdings Inc. and House of Investments, to discuss the SPIA project.

Marcos underscored the project’s importance, as it is expected to generate up to 15,000 jobs and $500 million in government revenue.

The President also said  the national government would work with the Cavite provincial government to expedite land-related approvals and ensure the project remains on track.

The SPIA project involves the development of a new international airport and support infrastructure facilities,  including an integrated road access and cargo logistics hub.

It is expected to help decongest the country’s main international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Apart from the development of SPIA, GMR expressed interest in the operations and upgrade of regional airports, including those in Laoag, Siargao and Bohol.

Upgrades of the country’s regional airports are expected to strengthen connectivity.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque expressed confidence in GMR Group given its proven track record.

“GMR has been a trusted partner of the Philippines since 2014 and is widely recognized for its successful delivery of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and new passenger terminal at Clark despite the pandemic,” she said.

“The Philippines is fully committed to improving its connectivity within its 7,600 islands and the whole world and I believe the GMR Group shares the same commitment with us in their latest project,” Roque said.

In a separate statement, DTI said   that Marcos and other Cabinet officials met with executives from India’s Tata Group to discuss potential investments in the information technology (IT), aviation and hospitality sectors.

Tata Group’s IT arm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced plans to expand its presence in the Philippines over the next three years, with a focus on Metro Manila and other key areas.

TCS is also partnering with NOW Corp. to support the latter with capabilities in expanding trusted networks, providing sovereign cloud technology and offering a robust cyber-defense suite.

Air India, another Tata Group company, is also set to launch a direct flight between Delhi and Manila starting Oct. 1.

The new route is expected to deepen trade, tourism and people-to-people ties between the two countries.