By Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – The new passenger terminal building of the Clark International Airport has been officially turned over to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) by Megawide GMR Construction Joint Venture.
In ceremonies held on Friday at the airport site here, Megawide handed over the certificate for the completion of the Clark International Airport new passenger terminal building’s engineering procurement and construction (EPC) works to the DOTr and the BCDA, marking the official handover of the facility to the Philippine government.
After the symbolic rites, the DOTr and BCDA officially turned over the operations and maintenance to the Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) Corporation, the operator of Clark International Airport, for final fit-out prior to opening and full operations within the year.
The new passenger terminal building can accommodate 8 million passengers on its opening year, almost tripling the airport's capacity from the current 4.2 million to 12.2 million annually.
"When we envisioned this project, nobody believed that we can make it happen. There were doubts and skepticism which may have defeated us along the way and hindered the completion of our goal. However, our determination and resolve were much stronger than any disbelief. Now, they will finally believe," said DOTr Secretary Tugade in his speech delivered by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, who represented the Secretary during the ceremony.
“This important milestone will be forever etched in our history as a lasting legacy of the Duterte administration. Our gathering today marks another fulfillment of the promise of improved life for all,” he added.
Newly elected chair of the House Special Committee on Bases Conversion, Congressman Aurelio Gonzales Jr., likewise underscored the Clark International Airport’s role as a catalyst of progress.
"We envisioned this to be Asia's next premiere gateway which will help foster economic growth. This is indeed a testament of the government's goal in making Clark the next premiere metropolis of Asia and putting our country one step closer to progress and prosperity," Gonzales said.
Former President and current Presidential Adviser on Clark Flagship Programs and Projects Gloria M. Macapagal-Arroyo cited the significance of the project and its contribution to the country’s economic growth.
Clark Development Corporation (CDC) vice chairman of the Board of Directors Retired Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor read the remarks of former President Arroyo, saying that “This airport is the flagship of how I envisioned Subic-Clark when I was a President: a competitive logistics and service center in the southeast Asian region."
The 110,000 square-meter Clark International Airport new passenger terminal building is a joint project of DOTr and BCDA and is the first hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) project under the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration.
It is located within the Civil Aviation Complex of the Clark Freeport Zone where its construction is the first phase of the airport's expansion.
The Megawide GMR Construction Joint Venture, which won the contract for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the terminal, started construction on the facility in 2018, and completed the project in October 2020.
Megawide Construction Corporation chairman and CEO Edgar Saavedra, through assistant vice president and head of Group Corporate Affairs Jason Torres, said in his message, "We are very proud to once again be involved in one of the most vital airport projects of this administration, and its undertaking to create an effective multi-airport strategy in Luzon."
BCDA senior vice president for conversion and development Joshua Bingcang, for his part, said that the completion of the airport terminal reiterates BCDA’s commitment in making Clark the next premier economic hub in Asia.
"The construction of the Clark International Airport New Terminal Building was done in record time. We are very excited for the facility to finally operate this year, as it will not only decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila and enhance the passenger experience for the Filipino people but will also boost economic growth here in Clark and of the whole region,” Bingcang said.
The world-class airport serves as a major gateway for Luzon, one of the solutions to the congestion of NAIA. It will be connected with the PNR North-South Commuter Railway and the Subic-Clark Railway. Its architecture is inspired by the Sierra Madre mountain range, and is designed to be disaster-resilient as well.
LIPAD Corporation, which was awarded the 25-year concession agreement for the operations and maintenance of the Clark International Airport, expects to complete its fit-out works and interior finishes and start operations by July 2021.
LIPAD CEO Bi Yong Chungunco, in her speech, said that it is high-time for the airport to have a new passenger terminal building.
"We hit four million passengers. And that's why, it is time for us to move into this new terminal, with a capacity of 8.2 million passengers," she said.
She expressed excitement over the operationalization of the new terminal saying, "we believe Clark International Airport is a major growth driver for the Central and North Luzon. Thus, getting the new terminal ready will contribute to our country's economic recovery".
LIPAD Corporation is the consortium of Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc., and Changi Airports Philippines (I) Pte. Ltd.
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