NEW GATEWAY The artists’ rendition of the P734-billion New Manila International Airport that will rise in Bulakan, Bulacan. (See related video on Inquirer.net) —SAN MIGUEL CORP./Contributed
The country’s newest and largest aviation hub, which San Miguel Corp. (SMC) will start building before 2019 ends, will be able to handle up to 100 million passengers a year, more than double the existing capacity of the four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City.
The SMC said this on Thursday as it gave the Inquirer a preview of the newly completed artists’ rendition of New Manila International Airport (NMIA), which will be built in Bulakan town, Bulacan province, for P734 billion and at zero cost to the government.
Tourism booster
According to San Miguel president Ramon Ang, the new airport’s capacity will help boost tourism in the country by facilitating an increase in tourist arrivals to as much as 35 million annually, from the 7.1 million recorded last year.
Ang said NMIA would fuel trillions of dollars in economic activity annually for the country, create 30 million tourism-related jobs, generate more than a million direct jobs and make lives better for residents of Bulacan and nearby provinces.
He said the project “is designed to decongest Metro Manila.” “It will provide more and better livelihood opportunities, and not take them away; ensure environmental balance and enhance resilience against calamities, because it’s the right thing to do,” Ang said.
The proposed aviation gateway will have four runways, with enough space to expand to six, and will be part of a larger infrastructure ecosystem that will connect with existing expressways, and mass rail transits that will link it to southern and northern Luzon.
Long-term solution
The project will be a long-term solution to Naia’s congestion, SMC said, adding that the airport will also be built taking into account sustainability and energy-efficient measures.
“We envision a brighter future for everyone, and we know what’s worth achieving won’t be easy,” Ang said. “We will face rough waters along the way, that’s why we need everybody’s help and support to make this dream a reality.” —DAXIM LUCAS