ALL day long and if you are glued on TV and follow the news from all those local and foreign networks, you may have now an overdose of Covid-19 updates. Even metropolitan newspapers are filling their pages with corona virus news. The Metro Manila lockdown, etc. etc. Many columnists tackle no other issues but the spreading corona virus and confirmed cases plus deaths.
In the meanwhile, this corner wants to look back and talk about issues no longer being talked about. Within this year, the newly built terminal of Clark Airport will be open for business, but sorry with a bad start. Due to the travel restrictions imposed by many governments to their people the operation could be minimal and not as projected. Airlines are scaling down their operations. People are afraid to travel. Cancellations are the order of the day. Up to when? No one knows.
Let's look back. After the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the airport was hardly used. The first commercial flight somehow started in October 2003. The United Parcel Service (UPS) made daily run of 11 flights. It was an Aseana Airline which experimented a test flight carrying mostly golfers. Later, regular flights with tourists and investors came. Also Air Asia of Tony Fernandez started its commercial short haul flights. (The airline has a new owner, our cabalen, from Angeles City, Congressman Michael Romero)Then the legacy carriers. Then the Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. Slowly the terminal was upgraded to accommodate more passengers and annual revenues was nearing billions. I remember as a member of the board of directors of Clark International Airport Corporation, we approved getting the services of the corp of engineers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to strengthen the tarmac just to accommodate the cargo planes. The rest is history.
Here's a business strategies normally we don't understand. The government recently issued a notice of award to San Miguel Holdings Corporation for its proposal to build a new international in Bulacan. Somehow the inauguration has been canceled twice now, according to reports. Let us look back. I remember in my youth when people mention of San Miguel, the first thing that come to mind was the beer brewery in barrio Marulas, Valenzuela, Bulacan. The San Miguel brewery plant in Valenzuela was formerly owned by the late Andres Soriano Sr. a Spanish expat. Over a period of time it changed hands and landed in the lap of Boss Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, the man with a Midas touch. It grew bigger and became profitable further. Then it became a conglomerate. Thanks to Ramon S. Ang aka RSA, the favorite mechanic of the Mercedes Benz fleet of a Boss Danding ,who took charge of the giant corporation some years back. With RSA at the helm it is now involved in various enterprises.
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) obtained the original proponent status with an offer to build an air gateway somewhere in Bulacan, some kilometers away from Clark airport. As the original proponent, initially the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) evaluated the SMC proposal. It was rejected the first time. Maybe there's a threat that the surrounding areas will be submerged and get flooded during the rainy months. Apparently government agencies were convinced that there was an offered solution, so SMC will proceed.
As we often hear and say, the more the merrier. Sangley airport in Cavite was already given the go signal. Waiting also to be developed are the airports in Subic in Zambales, San Fernando airport in La Union and the Loakan airport in Baguio City. Let he Duterte's Build, Build, Build program fly high.