MCIA expansion aims to kick-off early 2014

CEBU, Philippines - With bidding for the planned expansion and upgrade for the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) scheduled this November 15, the management of the terminal hopes to kick-off with the rehabilitation of the facility by early next year. 

Nigel Paul Villarete, MCIA general manager, said yesterday that they can possibly announce by January or February of 2014 the chosen company who will fund the expansion and rehabilitation of the MCIA and hopefully by then, can already start with the planned P17.5 billion project. 

Villarete, who was in the Provincial Capitol yesterday to deliver MCIA board’s donation for earthquake victims of Cebu, said that the bidding for the construction of the new passenger terminal of the MCIA is set on November 15.

“We are expecting the seven pre-qualified bidders to prepare their financial proposals,” said Villarete, confirming that the bidding would be done in Manila.

Earlier this year, seven bidders were identified for the project, namely; MPIC-JGS Airport Consortium, AAA Airport Partners, Filinvest-CAI Consortium, SMC-Incheon  Airport Consortium, First Philippine Airports Consortium, Premier Airport Group and GMR Infrastructure-Megawide Consortium.

Villarete explained that based on the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) law, a certain time frame is set aside for the evaluation of the financial and technical proposals.

“This may take about two months. So by January or February we can announce the preferred bidder,” Villarete confirmed.

With the expansion of the existing MCIA and the construction of a new passenger terminal, Cebu’s airport would be able to accommodate around 8 million passengers per year. At present, the MCIA only has a capacity of 4.5 million passengers.

For now, Villarete said they will be repairing within this month the damage caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas last October 15.

“At a 7.2 magnitude, naa gyud na siya mga effects and that is already a known fact,” he said. But he stressed that apart from ceiling boards that fell, the structure is still safe to use.

“We can assure the passengers and the riding public that it is safe to use both the runway and the terminal building.”

Villarete turned over to Governor Hilario Davide III yesterday the P1 million check from the MCIA board as financial assistance to earthquake victims of Cebu. Also, the MCIA board will be turning over next week another P1 million to the Province of Bohol.— (FREEMAN)