On Cebu airport bid: Tourism players support Megawide-GMR group

CEBU, Philippines - Tourism stakeholders, led by the Network of Independent Travel Agencies (NITAs), have expressed their support towards Megawide-GMR Consortium who was the highest bidder for the rehabilitation of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Industry players initially plan to draft a letter to show their support for Megawide-GMR and send it to the concerned government agencies, specifically the Department of Telecommunications and Communications (DOTC).

NITAs president Bobby Lim-Joseph said the letter will be signed by the organization as well as other tourism groups such as SKAL International, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAs), Team Philippines, Cebu Tourism and Travel Association, Philippine Travel Agencies, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA).

Although the Megawide-GMR Consortium has already posted its highest bid to work on the expansion of the international airport in Cebu, its implementation was impeded due to the current congressional inquiry led by Cebuano congressmen.

Just like other private sector groups, Joseph said any delay on the implementation of the airport expansion will deprive Cebu from taking advantage of the opportunities in both investment and tourism.

Joseph said tourism stakeholders felt the need to support the winning bidder, saying the consortium has dutifully gone through the tedious process and that the fact that it has won, supposedly was “end of the story” and the project could have been underway.

Aside from the expected delay in the multi-billion peso airport expansion, the Congressional inquiry will send a negative signal to the international investment community on the Philippines foreign investors’ relations.

Aside from the tourism stakeholders, the business community in Cebu led by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), together with other business organizations here will be drafting a resolution to urge the government to immediately start the project.

“We cannot afford any delay of the airport expansion’s implementation,” said CCCI president Lito Maderazo in an interview with The Freeman.

Recently, seven of Cebu’s nine congressmen filed a resolution seeking a congressional inquiry into the controversial bidding of MCIA rehabilitation project.

House Resolution 782 “directs the Committee in Transportation to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the complaints of conflict of interest and questionable financial capacity and other possible violations on qualification requirements against the highest financial bidder in the bidding of the MCIA PPP project.”

Cebu City North district Rep. Raul del Mar and South district Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa signed the resolution, as well as the representatives of Cebu’s representatives of the second to fifth district; Wilfredo Caminero, Gwendolyn Garcia, Benhur Salimbangon, Joseph “Ace” Durano, respectively. Lone district of Lapu-Lapu representative Aileen Radaza also signed the proposed resolution.

Sixth district Representative Luigi Quisumbing was reportedly not present during the signing of the resolution while first district Rep. Samsam Gullas will submit a separate resolution involving the matter, Del Mar earlier said.

Based on the resolution submitted, the DOTC Pre-Qualification, Bids and Awards Committee has delayed the awarding of the P17.5-billion project to any bidder, pending the completion of the post-qualification review of the highest financial bidder for alleged violation of the rule against conflict of interest under the bid rules as raised by the second highest bidder,  the consortium of Filinvest-Changi. (FREEMAN)