Proposal for Davao airport dev’t scheduled for presentation before ICC-TB this month

By Antonio Colina IV DAVAO CITY – The unsolicited proposal of the company owned by Davao-based business tycoon Dennis Uy, one of the campaign funders of President Rodrigo R. Duterte during May 2016 presidential race, for the P40.57-billion Davao International Airport Development Project has been scheduled for presentation to the Investment Coordination Committee-Tech­nical Board (ICC-TB) on January 31, 2019. Uy is the chairman and founder of Chealsea Logistics Holdings Corporation, which provides marine shipping services, transporting passengers, cargos, petroleum, oil, chemicals, and other bulk products, ac­cording to Bloomberg. The ICC-TB “deliberates on program/project proposals and endorses meritorious ones to the ICC-Cabinet Committee for ap­proval.” The body is composed of represen­tatives from National Economic Development Authority, Department of Finance, Office of the President, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Energy, and Public-Private Partnership Center. NEDA 11 director Maria Lourdes Lim told Kapihan sa PIA on Friday that the multi-billion airport development project involves the provi­sion of additional facilities and other necessary improvement to enhance safety, security, ac­cess, passenger and cargo movement efficiency at the airport, excluding air traffic control, air navigation and their associated services. She said a feasibility study is currently being undertaken. Lim added that the Department of Trans­portation (DOTr) is working on the procure­ment of consultancy services for the ad­vance engineering, environmental impact assessment, and detailed engineering design DED for the “optimum develop­ment of the Davao Airport.” Lim said the project is necessary to revitalize the airport as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said “it’s still good for another 10 years.” A press release issued by the DOTr on October 24, 2018 said the agency granted Chealsea Logistics Holdings Corporation with “original proponent status” for the operation, maintenance, and expansion of the airport, nearly five months after the company submitted its unsolicited proposal on May 28. It added the company will also “offer a new technology to enhance passenger ex­perience and an airport operator which cap­tures data to deliver efficient operations.” The unsolicited proposal would have to undergo a Swiss challenge, which means “other groups may submit counterproposals and both companies have the option to match,” it said.