Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte bared that he prefers Changi Airport of Singapore to operate the Davao International Airport (DIA) through Private Public Partnership (PPP).
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon recently announced that three companies — Filinvest, Gokongwei Group, and Changi Airport of Singapore — expressed interest by filing their proposals to operate through PPP the DIA.
“Sa tingin ko mas maganda kung Changi Airport talaga yung mapipili ng PPP. Wala naman akong problema sa dalawa (Filinvest and Gokongwei Group) pero ang trabaho talaga ng Changi Airport is gumawa ng airport. Si Filinvest mga development, si Gokongwei meron silang mga eroplano, but if you look at Singapore at ang airport nila, its one of the best in the world,” Duterte said in an interview with the media in The Hague, Netherlands on Monday.
According to Travel and Tour World (TTW), Changi Airport in Singapore has consistently been recognized as a top choice for travelers around the globe, holding the position of the second most favored international airport in the world, right after Istanbul Airport in Turkey.
However, Duterte said that the decision on who will operate the DIA will still be at the national level.
“Sana kung interested talaga yung Changi, pero it’s a national decision, hindi yan sa local,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dizon bared that the Filinvest Group already submitted their unsolicited proposal to develop, operate, and maintain the Davao airport.
“I think it’s about time, kasi, among our major international gateways, Davao airport na lang ang hindi pa pinapatakbo ng private sector like NAIA, Clark, and Mactan,” Dizon said.
Dizon is confident that the proposals will be approved this year.
