Senator Grace Poe; Secretary Jimmy Bautista; Secretary Arsi Balisacan; Secretary Frasco; PPP Center Executive Director Cynthia Hernandez; MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines; ADB Vice President Scott Morris; Mr. Ramon Ang: fellow workers in the government; ladies and gentlemen: Good morning.

Today’s ceremony is a clear demonstration of what decisive leadership and great teamwork can accomplish.

The NAIA PPP deal is a crowning achievement of the Marcos, Jr. administration.
It carries with it unprecedented feats achieved through strong partnership between the government and the private sector, guided by a President with a clear determination to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

The NAIA PPP project sets the benchmark for efficiency for the government’s pipeline projects, being the fastest-approved PPP proposal in Philippine history.

This underscores the Marcos, Jr. administration’s strong commitment to act fast on investments so that our people can benefit from them at the soonest possible time.

If we act with the same dispatch on all public projects, I am confident that we can sustain the momentum of growth necessary to deliver an inclusive economy for our people.

Moreover, this groundbreaking deal sets a precedent for future PPP initiatives, guaranteeing the greatest economic returns for all stakeholders, especially the Filipino people.

This project will ensure that only world-class service will be delivered to our people and international visitors, setting NAIA’s departure from its notorious reputation as one of the world’s worst airports to one of the best.

While doing so, the government is expected to generate 900 billion pesos in revenues from this deal over the 15-year concession period, extendable by another 10 years.

This means that the government is assured a healthy income stream from the private sector operator amounting to 36 billion pesos annually to fund expanded social services in education, public health, and infrastructure.

I have to thank everyone involved in this negotiation for their hard work and commitment to making sure that we get the best deal possible.

I wish the SMC-led consortium, its leadership, visionary patriot, Ramon Ang, fast and unimpeded work for this crucial project. We entrust with you the responsibility of making sure the days of nightmare in the airport are over and that we break free from the shackles of stagnation.

Our people must receive full VIP airport treatment—no hassles, no long lines, and definitely no bed bugs and rats, just excellent service. After all, the Filipino people deserve nothing but the best.

Foreign visitors must be welcomed with open arms and experience the renowned Filipino hospitality that is celebrated worldwide.

We will rely on your expertise to maximize NAIA’s potential so we can reap the full benefits of the tourism industry to accelerate economic growth.

As our nation’s main gateway, improvements in NAIA will yield numerous economic benefits, especially as we anticipate a post-pandemic tourism resurgence.

Given that tourism significantly contributes around 6 percent to our GDP and employs approximately 11 percent of our total workforce, the stakes are high. We cannot afford to falter in our efforts.

Once again, I thank everyone for their hard work in closing this deal. This is just the beginning of a series of pioneering PPP projects that we aim to finalize in the coming months and years.

Rest assured, every project, every contract undergoes rigorous scrutiny by the Department of Finance to ensure the utmost benefit for the Filipino people.

After all, each and every endeavor that we undertake is meant for them—to make their lives and those of the future generations to come more comfortable, convenient, and ultimately better.

Mabuhay po kayong lahat.