SMC blames fillers lack for airport delay
There will be additional costs. Due to the delays, the additional costs, particularly the cost of money and the contract might add up to several hundreds of millions of dollars
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Daily TribuneThere will be additional costs. Due to the delays, the additional costs, particularly the cost of money and the contract might add up to several hundreds of millions of dollars
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SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang
The delays in the development of the P740-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) due to a shortage of filling materials may have caused project proponent San Miguel Corp. (SMC) “several hundreds of millions of dollars” or more if not for careful planning and negotiation.
In an interview, SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang said the completion of the Bulacan airport is now rescheduled to the first quarter of 2028, from its original schedule in 2027.
This was after the project faced significant delays following the halt of the Manila Bay reclamation, disrupting the supply chain of sand and other materials necessary to complete the airport.
“There will be additional costs. Due to the delays, the additional costs, particularly the cost of money and the contract might add up to several hundreds of millions of dollars,” Ang said.
BBM blamed, too
Nonetheless, he emphasized his company’s planning and negotiation have prevented further financial setbacks.
To address the issue, he said SMC is in discussions with the government to find alternative solutions.
“When Bongbong (President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) stopped the Manila Bay reclamation, all sources for filling materials were also halted. We were one of those affected — we lost our supply of filling materials.
“So far, we think if we can get the sand, we can start construction and have the airport ready to operate by the first quarter of 2028,” he added.
NMIA is being developed by SMC subsidiary San Miguel Aerocity Inc. in phases, with an initial capacity of 35 million passengers annually, and a target of 100 million passengers per year in the long run.
Spanning 2,500 hectares of land, the project will comprise, among others, a minimum of four parallel runways, a state-of-the-art terminal, and a seamlessly integrated infrastructure system connected to expressways and railways.
Once completed, the new airport is expected to ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and serve as a major gateway for international and domestic flights.
