Lopezes, Ayala among the early birds for Iloilo airport auction
Planned government auction of the 54-hectare Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao District, Iloilo City has thus far gathered five giant players of the country's business community.
With Terms of References (TOR) on final deliberations, the committee tasked by the Department of Finance (DOF) to do the 'fine-tuning' have reportedly set the auction price range between P900 million to P1 billion.
Prime consideration was the value of said government property placed at about P18,000 per hectare or P1,800/square meter of land.
Though no auction date was firmed up as of yet, The News Today (TNT) learned from Department insiders that five developers and business groups have signified solid intentions to join the bid. More are expected in the coming weeks, the source added, with interests from other smaller investors and consortiums now gaining ground and seeing action in follow-ups made with the DOF.
The 'early birds' as disclosed are the Ayala Group, the Lopezes' Rockwell, Filinvest, SM Prime and Robinson's Land.
No less than DOF Undersecretary John Sevilla has called Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas with initial documents sent for the City Government's perusal. TNT learned that corresponding study is now underway in the City Legal Office.
The planned government auction is in preparation for the reported full-operations of the New Iloilo Airport Development Project (NIADP) in Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan, Iloilo by April this year.
Further into the DOF committee's task is to straighten up concerns relative to the designed privatization of the Iloilo Airport site in Mandurriao.
The TOR once finalized will serve as basis for the pre-bid conference, the schedule of which will later be decided.
Earlier, Senator Franklin Drilon said the old airport site will be converted into a commercial complex eyed to become the city's second urban center.
Drilon said the area would be developed either by sale or joint venture with the government.
In a visit to the new airport two weeks ago with Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Senator Drilon expressed concern over the possible coming in of squatters in the airport site if it is not guarded accordingly.
He thus called the attention of Air Transportation Office Manager Allan Java to ensure that no squatters could enter the airport site once it is already abandoned this April.
Drilon noted that it is difficult to remove squatters once they already occupy a certain area.