PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the Clark airport terminal deal is an exemplar of his government’s public-private partnership (PPP) ambitions, adding that the airport will be crucial in positioning the Philippines as a logistics hub.
He made the remarks at the formal opening of the new terminal building at Clark International Airport, north of Manila.
“This is the public-private partnership that we always talk about,” he said, noting that both parties can leverage their resources to achieve “synergy” via collaboration.
Mr. Marcos said his government is “willing to change in terms of documentation, procedure, even structure, even legislation” to attract investment into the country.
“We understand… the needs of our potential investors and we will… do everything so that that partnership (is) to the advantage of both the private sector (and) the public sector,” he said.
Mr. Marcos said the 110,000 square-meter new terminal building, which was built to accommodate around eight million passengers per year, sends a “very strong signal” to the world that the Philippines is open to investment.
“We just opened a new terminal. It is state-of-the-art and this is one of the things that we will continue to do in the future to bring you all to come and be partners with the Philippines,” he said. “This facility is another building block in what we hope (will) become a logistics center for Asia.”
Mr. Marcos called for full utilization of the Philippines portfolio of airports, noting the need to ease the load on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Philippines’ primary gateway, as well as other airports near the capital region.
“While construction works in… Bulacan and Cavite are ongoing, regional airports must be opened,” he said.
Mr. Marcos said he intended to make the Philippines a “logistics hub” during the election campaign.
The opening of the new terminal building is part of a broader effort to decongest NAIA. The Clark airport’s old terminal building had a capacity of 4.2 million passengers a year.
The new terminal is expected to create jobs, boost tourism, and advance socioeconomic activities in Central Luzon, the Palace said in a statement. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza