No local takers yet for the Mandurriao airport site
There were no local takers that appeared in what supposed to be a pre-bidding conference for the government auction of the 54-hectare hectare Iloilo Manduriao airport yesterday. The government auction price ranges from P900 million to P1 billion.
Department of Finance Secretary John Sevilla arrived in Iloilo City Tuesday for the supposed pre-bid conference and yet no local takers attended in the pre-bid conference to show their interest in the government auction. The supposed pre-bid conference turned into a press conference.
Sevilla, during the interview refused to identify the five corporations that earlier expressed intentions to purchase the property. Earlier, it was learned that prospective international and national bidders will drop their sealed bids on March 20 at the office of the Department of Transportation and Communications national office. On-line submission of bidding documents are also accepted. The bidding proper will be conducted on April 24.
Reports gathered by the TNT identified the big corporations that wants the property as the Ayala Group, the Lopezes' Rockwell, Filinvest, SM Prime, Robinsons Land, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. The old airport will be replaced by a new industrial and business center with the planned government auction.
As part of the deal, the city government wants the winning bidder to utilize the area for the construction of four amenities. The city envisions the construction of a theme park like Enchanted Kingdom, convention center which can accommodate more than 1,000 people, modern hospital for medical tourism and an ICT Park for the centers that wants to have business in Iloilo City. The realization of these amenities is part of the deal for the winning bidder.
These infrastructure and facility will benefit not only the residents of Iloilo City but the entire Panay Island. The area is considered as prime area. The value for each hectare is placed at P180,000 per hectare.
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.