(Eagle News) — Coming soon: A new terminal at Clark International Airport.
The Department of Transportation has announced the start of construction of the 100,000 square-meter terminal in Pampanga airport, part of the government’s efforts to expand and develop what it said would be “Asia’s next premier gateway.”
In a statement, the DOTr said the new terminal is designed to accommodate an additional eight million passengers every year, and is “expected to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals, as well as spread development in the peripheries.”
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade added that the new terminal will “complement” other infrastructure projects in the area: the Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, the New Clark City, and Manila-Clark Railway.
“Ikakabit po natin ang proyektong ito sa Manila-Clark Railway. Not later than 06 January 2018, we will mobilize the construction of the first segment from Tutuban to Malolos, and hopefully we will complete the entire line to Clark before the end of President Duterte’s term,” Tugade said.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez gave the assurance that the “delivery” of the terminal —which had long been planned in previous administrations—will not be delayed, noting that the Clark expansion project was actually considered the “fastest to be implemented by the national government.”
The DOTr said the project “broke ground only six months” after getting the National Economic Development Authority Board’s approval.
“Before, projects take an average of 30 months under (the public-private partnership). I assure you that this will not happen in the infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration,” Dominguez said.
Bases Conversion Development Authority President and chief executive officer Vince Dizon noted that President Rodrigo Duterte, who said early in his campaign that Clark needed to be developed— has “political will.”
Proof of this, he said, was the fact that in the first year of the President’s administration, there are now 200 flights from Clark.
Before Duterte assumed office, he said “there were only seven flights from Clark.”
“Matagal na ho ang proyektong ito. Yung mga pakiusap naming dati naitapon sa mga binging tenga. Pero ngayon, binibigyan natin ang katuparan ang matagal nang pangarap ng ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng world-class international airport,” Tugade said.
The construction of the new terminal is the first hybrid project under the Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program of the Duterte administration, the DOTr said.