DOTr Awards Bulacan Airport To SMC

18 September 2019

San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC) has secured a 50 years contract to build, operate, and maintain a new international airport in Bulacan dubbed as the New Manila International Airport from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade signed the Concession Agreement Wednesday morning which officially awards the US$15 billion (₱734-billion) deal to SMHC represented by San Miguel President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang. 

The contract was signed at the ASEAN Convention Center inside the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

SMHC put forward the new airport proposal back in 2016. It will be built on a 2,500 hectare property in Taliptip, some 20 kilometers northwest of Metro Manila. Construction is slated to start in December.

The contract includes the construction of an 8.4-kilometer toll way that will connect the New Manila International Airport to the North Luzon Expressway in Marilao, Bulacan.



The airport will be fully owned by the government under a “build-operate-transfer” program, SMC president Ramon Ang said. Airport construction would be funded by 70% foreign denominated loans and is expected to bring 35 million tourists annually.

Art Tugade said the Bulacan airport express train connecting the North South Commuter Rail lines are still being reviewed by the Transport Department as this will modify and amend approved plans of the train terminal junction in Marilao. SMC proposes express train to terminate at Marilao while DOTr proposes it to terminate at NAIA terminal 3.