CLARK International Airport—The revitalized Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) is now ready to remit to the national coffers, after incurring negative retained earnings during the past administration, an executive of the government-run airport operator announced on Wednesday.
The CIAC said P76,353,879.12 in dividend declaration, equivalent to 50 percent of CIAC’s annual net earnings, will be remitted to the national government and CIAC stockholders.
From this amount, CIAC will remit to the national government through the Bureau of Treasury total dividends amounting to P38,176,939.56, or half of the 50-percent annual net earnings, said Alexander S. Cauguiran, CIAC officer in charge.
“CIAC’s well-crafted plan plus a results-oriented leadership amounted to millions of pesos in remittances. President Duterte’s resolve and call to shift airline operations from Manila to Clark has borne fruits as we will now be able to remit the dividends pertaining to the years 2014 and 2015,” Cauguiran said.
Pursuant to Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) 7656, all government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) are required to declare and remit at least 50 percent of their annual net earnings as cash, stock or property dividends to the national government.
From 2014 to 2016, CIAC incurred negative retained earnings and was exempted from declaration and remittance of dividends to the national government.
The revised implementing rules and regulations of RA 7656 stipulates that GOCCs with net income but have negative retained earnings may be exempted from declaring and remitting dividends upon proper request to the secretary of finance for exemption.
However, since Duterte assumed the presidency in July 2016, the growth in airport operations and management of the aviation complex led to the increase in cash flow.
CIAC’s net income in 2014 totaled P45.5 million, P29.7 million in 2015 and P77.4 million in 2016 for a total of P152.7 million.
During these years, however, CIAC incurred negative retained earnings, otherwise known as retained earnings deficit.
Clark International Airport (IATA Code: CRK) currently has 134 international flights and 104 domestic flights weekly, and passenger traffic is projected to reach 1.5 million by end of 2017.
China Eastern Airlines, China’s second-largest carrier by passenger numbers, will begin its Clark-Shanghai flights on October 18, while JetStar’s Clark-Singapore flights will start on November 18.
Also within the year, Philippine Airlines will add Tagbilaran, Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro among its flights to and from Clark.
In addition to expanding its commercial horizons, the construction of CRK’s new terminal building that can take in 8 million passengers annually is scheduled to be finished by the first quarter of 2020.
The project is spearheaded by Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vivencio Dizon.