ShareThisBy JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES
BACOOR CITY, Cavite (PilipinasNews) – Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. has revived his proposal for the conversion of former United States naval station Sangley Point in Cavite City to an international airport and seaport which he claimed to be long overdue.
Revilla, chairman of the Senate committees on public services and public works, made the call after learning that a consortium is now aggressively pushing for the project.
Revilla told PilipinasNews that the project will effectively decongest the overcrowded Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and ensure safer air travel for Filipinos and foreigners.
“It will also be a big boost to Cavite, now the nation’s biggest province in terms of population, but overall the country’s tourism and economy,” Revilla said.
“I hope and pray that it pushes through this time,” Revilla added. “This will decongest Manila and provide a great boost to tourism and the economy, and provide more jobs and revenues for the Province of Cavite,” he said.
Revilla said he was elated that a consortium, the All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp. (ARRC) where Solar Group is the lead local partner, has submitted a letter of intent to redevelop Sangley Point.
William Tieng of Solar Group said their foreign partners have expressed commitment to redevelop the former US facility.
Tieng identified their foreign partners as Flugfahen Munich, operator of the Munich airport in Germany; Hamburger Hafen und Logistik, the biggest operator in Germany’s Hamburg port; Ferrovie Circumvesuviana, an Italian rail company; power firm Isoluc Corsan; Deutsche Bank; COWI, Inros Lackner and GMP Architects; contractors Hochtief and Rizzani de Eccher; and a lead reclamation contractor in Royal Boskalis Westminster.
Revilla called on the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to support the proposed redevelopment of Sangley Point.
Revilla, who was governor of Cavite province from 1998 to 2001, said the proposal to redevelop Sangely Point was included in the “Cavite: Vision 2020” development masterplan designed by Architect Jun Palafox of Palafox Associates.
“Because of ‘Vision 2020’, Executive Order No. 629, Series of 2007 was issued, directing the Philippine Reclamation Authority to convert Sangley Point in Cavite City into an international Airport and Seaport,” Revilla pointed out.
The masterplan, Revilla said, was conceptualized late in 2000 but has been shelved for almost a decade before it was referred to reelected Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Junvic Remulla.
The d masterplan was finalized late 2000 and was unveiled over 12 years ago in March of 2001. “Since then, our plan and vision was abandoned by the Provincial Government of Cavite, and was just freshly being referred to Governor Remulla when he was elected 3 years ago,” Revilla said.
”I have been making requests to this administration in light of E.O. 629 to support the conversion of Sangley Point to an International Airport and Container Port, but no actions on my representations have been made,” he added.