The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has started seeking comparative proposals for a Swiss bidding challenge against San Miguel Holdings Corporation’s (SMHC) unsolicited proposal to build an airport in Bulacan.
In an invitation published on April 12, DOTr asks local and international companies to submit, under a Swiss bidding challenge process, comparative proposals to finance, design, construct, operate, and maintain the proposed New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulakan, Bulacan under a 50-year concession period.
Interested companies will be challenging original proponent SMHC’s unsolicited proposal, which will assume a total project cost of P735.63 billion through a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement. As an unsolicited proposal, the project has to undergo Swiss challenge wherein other parties can challenge the proposal.
DOTr said the SMHC proposal aims to develop a new international gateway with air passenger terminal facilities having an ultimate design capacity of 100 million passengers. The new airport will also have airside facilities with an ultimate configuration of four parallel runways supported by associated airside facilities; aviation-related equipment and support facilities; and an airport toll road with an approximate length of eight kilometers linking the air hub to the North Luzon Expressway.
SMHC’s proposed air complex is seen to eventually replace the country’s congested main air hub Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
The single-stage qualification and competitive bidding for NMIA will be conducted in accordance with Republic Act No. 7718, or the Philippine BOT Law, and its revised implementing rules. If a comparative proponent submits a better bid proposal, the original proponent has the right to match the best offer.
Swiss challenge documents will be available from April 22 to June 23, 2019 at DOTr’s Clark, Pampanga office. Submission of proposals is on or before June 23, 2019, with proposals to be opened on the same date. A pre-bid conference will be held on May 9.
