THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said on Wednesday that the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is still studying the terms of its land purchase deal with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) covering the leased site of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ) Terminal 3.
On the sidelines of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 Philippines Awards Banquet, Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said discussions are ongoing regarding the purchase of the lot where (T3) stands,” Mr. Bautista told BusinessWorld.
“There is no major agreement yet; nothing is final. In fact, there will be a MIAA board meeting, I think tomorrow (Thursday), where it will be discussed again,” he added.
He said that the MIAA has still not yet decided whether it will continue leasing the site or move to purchase the asset from the BCDA.
“Terms that the BCDA (has put forward) are still being studied by the board of directors of MIAA,” he said.
One of the terms BCDA is proposing is the right to repurchase the site if it ceases to be an airport, he said.
He said he is neutral on whether MIAA should buy the site or continue to lease.
“They are both government agencies. So at the end of the day, it will still be the government,” he said.
He also added that the deal will not have a big impact on airport users.
In January, the BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang told reporters that the 25-year lease agreement with MIAA expired last year.
The lease covers BCDA’s 60-hectare property, for which he gave a zonal value of P50 billion. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
