More Cebu airport upgrades planned

Andrew Acquaah Harrison, GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. chief executive adviser, (3rd from left) tours House representatives, who want to see the progress of the MCIA Terminal 2.
CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO

IF THE plans of the private corporation operating the Mactan Cebu International Airport terminal will be realized, then a third airport terminal and a second runway for the airport will be constructed within the next 50 years.

This is how GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) will address the expected 28 million airline passengers by 2039.

The project will soon be realized after it got the support of some Cebu congressmen, who toured the ongoing second terminal project at the MCIA.

The project, however, is included in the P208-billion unsolicited proposal of GMCAC, which includes reclaiming 300 hectares of Magellan Bay to accommodate these facilities for the airport.

At the same time, the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) said it will already come out with an assessment of GMCAC’s unsolicited proposal by next month.

“We have 120 days to assess. We are now at the halfway point. By next month, even before the lapse of the 120 days, we will have our assessment ready. Then we proceed to submission to Neda (National Economic Development Authority). Then the Swiss challenge,” said MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican.

GMCAC submitted their unsolicited proposal to MCIAA last May 15. Their proposal also includes taking over the airside functions of MCIA, and the extension of their contract from 25 to 50 years aside from the construction of the second runway and the third passenger terminal.

Dicdican said an optimistic target for the approval of the proposal as well as the signing of the new concession agreement would be within the year.
But realistically speaking, he said this should be expected by middle of next year.

Consultative meeting

MCIAA, GMCAC, and some Cebu House representatives led by Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento (Samar 1st district), House Committee on transportation vice chairman, for a consultative meeting on the airport and port development in Cebu at the Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino.

Prior to the meeting, GMCAC Chief Executive Adviser Andrew Harrison toured the Cebu representatives and other stakeholders who were present to the ongoing construction of the MCIA’s Terminal 2 (T2) which is currently ahead of schedule.

The T2 is expected to be completed by the end of March next year or three months ahead of schedule of June 2018.

T2’s completion is expected to accommodate more tourists which will visit Cebu especially with the expected completion of two casino resort projects in Mandaue and Mactan. (See separate story on page 17)

Congressmen’s support

Reps. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu 3rd district), Aileen Radaza (Lapu-Lapu City district), and Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu 4th district) were among the representatives who visited the terminal and gave their support to the proposal.

In his presentation, Harrison said they plan to construct the second runway in the north side of the airport. This would include relocation of mainly the 150 locators in MEPZ-1.

“Since most land parcels are already under government control, effecting relocation would likely be easier,” he said.

Reclamation

This proposal would also include a 300-hectare reclamation of the Magellan bay — half of which will be allocated for airport infrastructure while the other half will be for the relocation of the MEPZ-1.

Harrison explained that they went with this instead of the south side of the airport which would affect 10,000 to 12,000 households.
Sarmiento lauded the master plan of GMCAC saying that looking 50 years ahead is the right time to plan developments.