Cavite gov cancels China-backed deal for Sangley airport

Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla has canceled the proposal by a China-backed consortium for the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) project.

“Due to the various deficiencies of the submission of requirements to conclude the Joint Venture Agreement for the Sangley Point International Airport, the Cavite Provincial Government Special Selection Committee has recommended the non-approval of the redevelopment of the former airbase as presented by the applying parties,” Remulla announced on his Facebook Wednesday.

He added: “The recommendation was accepted and approved by my office dated January 26, 2021.”

However, he explained that while the Cavite government has canceled the negotiation, “the project will restart and hopefully have a successful negotiation with any qualified partner by October 2021.”

“I still believe that a new international airport is important for the country in the long run, and it must be stressed that cancellation is not in prejudice of anyone applying again,” Remulla said.

Remulla said he would later publish the content of the cancelation letter.

Earlier, the Cavite government was reportedly considering canceling the award granted last year to the consortium of China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) and taipan Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corp.

The supposed venture will cover the initial phase of the P500-billion Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA)—a new gateway meant to decongest Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

The committee said the CCCC-MarcoAsia consortium repeatedly failed to “fully and completely” comply with its conditions, which were not detailed.

The SPIA aims to become a global air hub with four parallel runways and an annual capacity of 130 million passengers.

Along with San Miguel Corp.’s airport city in Bulacan province, the Sangley airport was meant to cut congestion—a worsening problem before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived—in Manila’s Naia.

LZB