THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) will ask that it be exempted from the election ban so it could proceed with the design of the P2.5-billion second runway.
MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican said it will ask the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to grant it exemption from the ban on public works prior to the elections in May. He said the project has been delayed because of questions on the proposal of the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) to construct it.
“We debated on the mode of procurement. There was a proposal from GMCAC to undertake the project. But, finally, the MCIAA board decided in December 2018 it will be the one to procure it,” Dicdican said.
“When that was decided, we proceeded to come up with the terms of reference for its completion,” he added.
The body will hold a public bidding for the consultant on the design of the second runway.
Dicdican said that, for now, the MCIAA runway is not yet congested but the board wants to be proactive.
The MCIAA will not wait for the time the airport will be congested before it would act.
He then cited the case of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila where authorities were forced to act because the congestion problem had caused flight delays and passengers complained about the schedules and inconvenience.
Dicdican said the P2.5 billion is part of the P14.4 billion paid by GMCAC to qualify in the concession agreement to manage the airport terminals.
Of the P14.4 billion, MCIAA got about P4.8 billion. The rest went to the National Government.
Dicdican estimated the design to be completed by the winning bidder within six months. Once the design is submitted and the MCIAA board approves it, the construction of the second runway will follow.
On the other hand, lawyer Glenn Napuli, MCIAA assistant manager, said they are now getting input from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap).
“Caap has a measurement in the construction. Caap knows what will be implemented first,” Napuli said.
Napuli said the goal is to finish the project before the term of President Rodrigo Duterte will end on June 30, 2022.
He said that while the proposal of GMCAC is still pending before the National Economic and Development Authority in Manila, the MCIAA cannot wait any longer, otherwise the project would not be completed within Duterte’s term.