SMC applying sustainable measures vs geohazards in Bulacan airport site — Ramong Ang

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang on Saturday assured that the company is implementing sustainable measures to address flooding in the site of the planned New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. 

This comes after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Dr. Renato Solidum, during a Senate panel hearing, pointed out that the area of the planned domestic and international airport is prone to flooding, as well as ground shaking and liquefaction.

“The airport’s design fully takes this into account and we have actually started implementing sustainable measures to address flooding in Bulacan that has existed for several decades and has been made worse by clogged waterways and drainages,” Ang said in a statement.

Ang added that SMC fully agrees with Solidum’s observation that proper engineering intervention measures are needed to mitigate risks, such as flooding. 

To make sure that the airport is “resilient, sustainable, and provide the best benefits to Filipinos,” Ang added that SMC has tapped three major global airport construction firms: Groupe ADP (Aeroports de Paris), Meinhardt Group, and Jacobs Engineering Group. 

Among the airports the firms have worked on are Singapore’s Changi Airport, the Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport in the U.S.

The proposed New Manila International Airport in Bulakan town in Bulacan, is expected to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and support growth and development in Central Luzon.   

The airport project, which is estimated to cost P740 billion, is a private investment and will not cost the government whatsoever, Ang said. 

“This airport is perhaps the largest, most ambitious, and most game-changing infrastructure projects by Filipinos for Filipinos,” the SMC president said.

“An effort of this magnitude requires the cooperation and support of many stakeholders. As such, we remain committed to engaging the public as we move to make this vision a reality – and make this right,” Ang added. 

gsg