Six groups have submitted qualification documents for five regional airport projects under the Philippine government’s public-private partnership (PPP) scheme despite a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC) to halt the bidding.
On August 17, these companies and joint ventures submitted pre-qualification documents for the P108.19-billion projects—San Miguel Holdings Corp.-Incheon International Airport Corp.; Philippine Airports Consortium composed of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Aeroports de Paris Management S.A. and TAV Havalimanlari Holdings A.S.; Union Equities; GMR Infrastructure and Megawide Consortium; Sojitz-Jatco-Filinvest; and Maya Consortium composed of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and VINCI Airports.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), despite receiving the 72-hour TRO also on August 17, pushed through with inspecting the pre-qualification documents, saying that under existing laws, an RTC can only issue an injunction within its judicial region.
Lower courts, under Republic Act No. 8975, are likewise prohibited from issuing TROs on government infrastructure projects to ensure expeditious implementation. DOTC also said that since the TRO was issued on August 12, its validity had expired.
The development and operation and maintenance (O&M) of the regional airports will be bid out in two bundles: Bundle 1 includes the P20.26-billion Bacolod-Silay Airport Project and P30.40-billion Iloilo Airport Project; and Bundle 2 consists of the P40.57-billion Davao Airport Project, P14.62-billion Laguindingan Airport Project, and P2.34-billion New Bohol Airport Project.
Winning concessionaires for each bundle will handle the O&M of the airports for 30 years and will expand these facilities as most of the airports are operating beyond their design capacity, DOTC noted.
“These improvements are needed in order to enhance passenger safety and convenience as well as to ensure more efficient airport operations,” DOTC said in a statement.
Opening of bids is scheduled for January 2016, while awarding of contracts will follow in February.
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