NOT one to call it a day that easily, Ramon S. Ang is at it again. According to reports, the president and COO of San Miguel Corp. has revived his scuttled proposal to build the country’s most modern international airport in Manila.
Torpedoed in 2014, the planned airport—aimed to decongest the existing, already dilapidated airport in Pasay City—will be Ang’s most ambitious project yet, to the incoming Duterte administration. To those not in the know, outgoing President Aquino shooed away unsolicited proposals—even if one project is deemed good for the country. What a warped policy.
But confident his airport dream is worth fighting for, Ang is back at the Palace doorstep.
Arguably the most influential visionary of his generation, Ang—or RSA to those close to him—has added a tinge of terrific twist to his latest venture: He will tap as partners in the airport project the likes of Manny V. Pangilinan, Henry Sy and Zobel of Ayala Corp.
I have yet to see a combo so power-packed and so influential being called to pool their resources together for the common good. As sure as night follows day, the unprecedented coalition of the fabulous four might yet be the “Union of the Century” in the highly polarized business segment. It will shatter all previous mergers among either giant corporations or business bigwigs, setting a bar that should be hard to surpass, let alone match.
From his drawing board, RSA is envisioning a $10-billion airport that would, upon its completion, rival that of even the world’s most modern airports in state-of-the-art styling and embellishments.
The Clark airport has been bypassed as replacement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport runways because it is deemed too far for Metro Manilans and National Capital Region residents to include those from Rizal, Laguna, Quezon and Cavite. Manila is still the best hub for domestic, as well as international, airlines for more accessibility and sound business operations for the men that wield massive mental outputs for growth.
As I have always insisted here, airports and other infrastructure ventures, such as roads, bridges, railways, skyways, subways and seaports, are all motoring-related projects. With every infrastructure constructed comes every motorist’s interest upheld outright.
More roads built would mean less traffic jams.
More railways built would mean the expansion of the mass-transit system, easing passenger volumes on buses and other public-utility vehicles. More skyways/subways/tunnels/bridges would mean speedier movement, doing away with wasted hours while stalled on the road, not to mention burnt precious fuel on unmoving vehicles.
More airports would mean fast travel from island to island, increasing productivity and gunning up much-delayed growth across the archipelago.
In short, more infrastructures equals more vehicle production, increasing jobs and improving better living conditions for the people.
For starters, RSA’s airport would sit mainly on a reclaimed land in Manila Bay totaling at least 1,600 hectares. “I am being invited to propose again,” RSA was quoted as saying by Inquirer’s Miguel R. Camus. “So I’ll do this and will ask them to call for a public bidding. I’ll present all the designs. And if San Miguel is allowed to do the airport, I will invite Manny Pangilinan, and Ayala and Shoemart [SM Group]. All of them are welcome to be partners.” RSA added: “But as the major partner, I will invite Manny Pangilinan.”
Wow! Where can you find such a guy who is never afraid to partner with one of his chief business rivals? And did I hear someone say in the past that RSA will and can never work with MVP?
My reaction then upon hearing that was, he knows nothing about RSA. And, if I may point out again: Didn’t RSA build the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway that is right next to that well-loved North Luzon Expressway-Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway owned by MVP going up North? If only for that alone, it is proof of RSA’s unstinting affection for the common good of all—for an avowed devotion to see a nation move forward, regardless of who he is partnering with. If RSA is an ardent follower of Deng Hsiao Ping, I won’t be surprised. Listen to Deng: “I don’t care whether a cat is black or white, for as long as it catches mice.”
Indeed, some are born to live for the common tao—genuinely.
PEE STOP. “Drift King” Keiichi Tsuchiya will grace the Vios Cup Season 3 at Filinvest, Alabang, this weekend, according to Toyota Motor Philippines’s Jade B. Sison. May 21 will be the qualifying round and May 22 race day. Featured celebrity drivers include Jericho Rosales, Sam YG, Joyce Pring, Phoemela Baranda, Fabio Ide, Jinno Rufino and Arci Muñoz. Gates open at 9 a.m. Free admission…Here is Metrobank’s 100 days of awesome car loan. Free chattel mortgage, free first-year insurance and low monthly amortization. Valid from April 1 to July 9. All major car brands accepted.