MANILA, Philippines - The group of Manuel V. Pangilinan is keen on participating in public-private partnership (PPP) projects that have a "critical mass" of beneficiaries.
During Tuesday's Philippine Investment Forum, Pangilinan reiterated his group's interest in three airports, namely the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Mactan International Airport and the Clark International Airport.
“The country is in need of infra projects. I think it’s up to the government to decide which they should privatize first. There is no assurance that anybody can win it. I am not saying that we will win all three or one. It’s going to be a competitive bidding. There are only three airports which I can think of that are attractive for the moment. I could be wrong,” Pangilinan said.
As for other airports, "there should be a critical mass of tourists before these are put in the auction block," he said, adding, "That’s the time to privatize.”
In this regard, building reliable commuter trains between airports and areas with huge populations should also form part of the government's PPP program, Pangilinan said.
“Why not use NorthRail because the alignment is there already. They should look at it, at least going to Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and up to Pangasinan because the NorthRail ends in Pampanga,” he said.
“We do need commuter trains because the beneficial effect is to decongest Metro Manila,” he said, citing his group's bid for the southbound extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 1.
The Pangilinan group also plans to expand the capacity of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, as well as build a road that would connect the North Luzon Expressway and the South Luzon Expressway.
source: interaksyon.com
