THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has expressed its support for Megawide Construction Corp. to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

CCCI president Felix Taguiam, in a letter addressed to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, said Megawide “has the credibility, experience and the drive to deliver a topnotch airport.”

“It is the only company in the Philippines to design, engineer, construct new, world-class international airports in 40 years and deliver a second terminal building — the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and the Clark International Airport New Passenger Terminal Building — within budget and on time,” Taguiam said.

In December 2020, the Manila International Airport Authority announced the revocation of the partnership of Megawide and GMR Infrastructure’s Original Proponent Status regarding its P109 billion proposal to rehabilitate and transform the NAIA.

“As the emerging leading engineering and infrastructure firm in the country, Megawide worked diligently with the Cebuanos to achieve this dream of having a world-class gateway to more opportunities the world has to offer. The delivery of the new MCIA accelerated the transformation of Cebu into an international destination which sparked new economic growth beyond the airport,” Taguiam said.

He said the contract has also been vetted by no less than the Supreme Court, “after incontestable and undeniable success in operating and growing the MCIA.”

Taguiam said by facilitating tourism and trade, the NAIA rehabilitation shall surely generate economic growth, and in effect provide more jobs and increase revenues from taxes — exactly what Megawide delivered to Mactan-Cebu.

“We enjoin you to support our homegrown companies and corporations like Megawide and let them be a source of pride and joy for the country. The NAIA rehabilitation project deserves full support from the government, so Filipinos can ultimately have their long-awaited and much-deserved, world-class airport,” the CCCI top official added.

MCIA has been a recipient of numerous awards.

It bested Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport and Turkey’s Istanbul Airport in the World Architecture Festival 2019. MCIA’s Terminal 2 also won in the festival’s “Completed Buildings: Transport” category, beating other global transport hubs. (JOB)