THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is considering whether to offer an air traffic navigation project via the solicited route, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said.
PPP Center Deputy Executive Director Jeffrey I. Manalo said the DoTr is in the pre-feasibility study stage in deciding on a solicited scheme.
The PPP Center website describes the Air Traffic Services (ATS)-Air Navigation Services (ANS) project as including the financing, design, construction, operations and maintenance of the system, which will regulate Philippine airspace as well as international airspace that the Philippines is responsible for managing.
“The private sector concessionaire would take over, modernize, and upgrade existing ATS-ANS facilities of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, including radar, communications facilities, and control centers. The private sector concessionaire will also construct new facilities to cover the country’s airspace,” the PPP Center said.
ComClark Network and Technology Corp. has said that it intends to resubmit its unsolicited proposal to take over the management of the Philippine air navigation, traffic, and control system.
ComClark’s P29.82-billion unsolicited proposal was rejected by the DoTr. The company said in February that it will submit additional documents to complete its unsolicited proposal.
The PPP Center’s Mr. Manalo said ComClark has made no new submissions to date.
Nigel Paul C. Villarete, senior advisor at technical advisory group Libra Konsult, Inc. said the air traffic navigation project must be offered through solicited mode.
“This kind of project is broader in scope, covering the entire national airspace and includes certain security concerns. The government needs to provide and embed specific security measures in the terms of reference,” Mr. Villarete said via Viber.
“It should be noted that air navigation services have a much wider scope than airport services and also encompass broader national security concerns; thus, it would be in the country’s best interest to prepare the Terms of Reference and make the decision to tender this out for PPP once that decision has been made,” he said.
Mr. Villarete said going the solicited route would be faster and beneficial for the government.
“In the unsolicited mode, the proposal is dictated by what the proponent wants. So if a government agency wants to go into public-private-partnership, why not just bid it out specifying exactly what it wants rather than wait for some private entity to dictate its offer,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
