For over a month now, Megawide-GMR's P109-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Rehabilitation project remains in limbo, with not a single word of explanation from any of the three concerned government agencies why their Original Proponent Status (OPS) was revoked.
This was what Megawide Construction Corp. Chairman, President and CEO Edgar B. Saavedra told (January 20, 2021) Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)'s Webinar on Upgrading the NAIA to World Standard.
In the middle of last month, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) revoked Megawide and GMR Infrastructure’s OPS for the rehab project with "no reason given".
Up to press time, the MIAA, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), which invited Megawide to submit the proposal, and even the National Economic Development Authority, have communicated nothing official to the proponent.
Megawide submitted its NAIA rehabilitation proposal on July 8, 2020, based on DOTr's terms and conditions.
"Right now, our proposal is still with the government, waiting for the decision if DOTr and MIAA," according to Saavedra.
"We will respect the decision of the government," he declared.
However, he sees no reason why Megawide-GMR should not be awarded the project contract.
At all stages, Megawide has complied with all requirements and interpretations of the government for its unsolicited proposal.
"There are no justifiable grounds to deny the Filipino people a transformed NAIA," the proponent insisted.
Megawide and GMR Infrastructure (GMR) first submitted a proposal for the rehabilitation of NAIA in 2018.
After nearly two years of failed discussions with several of the country's largest conglomerates, the DOTr asked Megawide to consider resubmitting its proposal to rehabilitate the NAIA.
The Philippine national government even insisted on contract terms that were stricter than those given to the first proponent.
In response to the government's call, Megawide submitted an innovative proposal that sought not just to rehabilitate NAIA but transform it into a first-world, global airport complex. Lack of capital is definitely not a problem because the proponent has more than enough.