By Rendy Isip, iOrbit News
Business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan is hopeful that incoming President Rodrigo Duterte will consider the development of the Clark International Airport (CRK), saying that Clark is “the better option.”
“I think it should be looked at by the incoming government because it’s there. You have about 2,000 hectares available for the airport and its expansion,” Pangilinan told Pampanga-based mediamen at the sidelines of the PLDT stockholders’ meeting held at the Makati Shangri-la on Tuesday.
Pangilinan also stressed that the distance between Manila and Clark is not a “drawback” to airlines. “Not so much the distance… it’s what, about 90 kilometers away from the city, no doubt about that.”
“The drawback would be… well this has become agnostic now, you do have to build a railway, probably a medium speed railway.
The only requirement of foreign carriers is that… so long as we can bring the passengers to Makati, to Manila in less than an hour, ok nasa kanila yon.”
“…That’s the way it is. In Hong Kong it’s around 30 minutes, in Narita (Japan) it’s about an hour or 55 minutes. But by itself, I mean the land, it’s there. You don’t need to reclaim it, timing is not important nandun nayun eh and it’s a dual runway,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan said the matter should be seriously considered.
“But it’s not my decision; I don’t want to tell them what to do, but they (Duterte administration) should take a look at it. That’s all I could say,” he stressed.
“Our position and thinking has always been to keep the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and go for Clark. We need both; we need the city airport which will be the premium service airport and an airport like Clark to be the main airport.”
“Those who do not have the time but have the money like the business people from abroad can afford to pay for the premium service of NAIA because it’s close to Makati, Manila whenever they want to go, and those with the time but not the money they can land in Clark. I don’t see any problem with that,” he said.
Pangilinan also said that if the government wants to consider other options such as Sangley in Cavite they can do so, but the question remains on how long it will take and how much is the cost.
“Whatever the option is or if the President decides then move on, let’s build it,” he added.