The groundbreaking ceremony of the massive New Manila International Airport in Bulacan will likely happen in April or May, according to the transportation department, Business World reported.
Initially, San Miguel Corp (SMC) targeted groundbreaking in December 2019 but was postponed due to contract issues. In 2020, it faced delays partly because of the pandemic.
To be finished in four to six years, the new aviation hub will be serving 100 million to 200 million passengers a year, three times the current capacity of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. For this reason, it is touted as one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects in years.
The New Manila International Airport will be built on a 2,500-hectare coastal property in Bulakan, Bulacan. It will form part of the 12,000-hectare mixed-use development, which would host a residential area, government center, seaport, and an industrial hub.
Airport Design
In an earlier report from Business Mirror, it was mentioned that SMC tapped three major global airport construction firms: Groupe ADP (Aeroports de Paris), Meinhardt Group, and Jacobs Engineering Group. In the past, these agencies worked on world-renowned airports, including Changi Airport in Singapore, Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport in the United States.
The future New Manila International Airport will have four runways, eight taxiways, and three passenger terminals. There are also provisions for adding six more runways to increase passenger capacity. It will feature airside and landside facilities, as well as an airport toll road and railway.
According to SMC, “sustainable” flood control solutions are part of the construction project. These include cultivating 200,000 mangroves along the province’s coastlines, as well as cleaning, dredging, and widening of important Bulacan streams belonging to the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System, as mentioned in the Business World article cited above.
Community Endorsement
Meanwhile, the local government and residents in Bulacan have expressed support for the immediate construction of the aviation hub in a recent public hearing conducted by the Environment Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), as mentioned in this Manila Times report.
The stakeholders believe that the project will boost the province’s economic growth and generate employment opportunities to Filipinos, helping the country bounce back from the pandemic.
Additionally, the local officials said that the building of the airport can position Bulacan as a “global destination for tourism.”
Assistance to Locals
The barangay chiefs of Taliptip and Bambang, the airport location site, acknowledged the timeliness of the construction project, given that a lot of locals experienced economic challenges due to the pandemic. Former residents in the area received skills training and livelihood opportunities even prior to the building of the airport.
According to a report from Manila Bulletin, over 100 locals of the coastal community expressed interest in joining SMC’s program for microentrepreneurs, resellers of the company’s food and beverage products. Almost 50 people had already undergone the two-day entrepreneurship training.
Under the program, qualified participants receive an initial inventory of Purefoods and Magnolia frozen products and equipment, on top of the training provided by SMC. They will also be members of the cooperatives under the supervision of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
Property Demand
While promoting employment and tourism opportunities, the construction of the Bulacan airport is expected to drive real estate investments, as it makes the cities and towns in the area more competitive.
It can be noted that Malolos had already been identified as an area of high economic potential. It was among the “next-wave cities” launched in 2016 and “digital cities” in 2020. The information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector is set to thrive in this city, given the support of the government, business, and education sectors.
The completion of other infrastructure projects, such as the Malolos-Clark Railway and MRT-7, will further compel property seekers to flock to the province and settle down in a residence or set up shop for business.
The Malolos-Clark Railway, which reduces travel time from the current one and a half hours to 35 minutes, started construction last month, Sunstar reported. It will run partial operations in 2022.
MRT-7, meanwhile, will be opened to the riding public by December, as it reached the halfway progress mark last month, according to Manila Times. The railway system connects Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, cutting travel time to 35 minutes.
Article and Photo originally posted by Lamudi last March 26, 2021.
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