The US government’s international investment arm has expressed interest in funding the construction of a second runway at Clark International Airport, according to state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang said the US International Development Finance Corp. had already reached out regarding the project, which is targeted to become operational by 2029.
Several South Korean companies have likewise expressed interest in taking part in the project, Bingcang said.
‘Modesty aside, BCDA can implement this project on its own, but since many foreign institutions would like to take part in this project, we’re open to partnering with them,’ he said at a Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines forum on Monday.
First announced in 2024, the planned second runway will serve as a backup to Clark’s existing 3,200-meter main runway, ensuring uninterrupted airport operations even during disruptions or maintenance activities.
Bingcang said the second runway is expected to cost between P7 billion and P10 billion, with the project set to be bid out by March 2027. Taxiways will also be constructed alongside the runway.
The BCDA had earlier awarded the runway’s P206.9-million detailed engineering design contract to the joint venture of local firm Schema Konsult Inc. and South Korea-based Yooshin Engineering Corp.
Apart from the backup runway, the agency plans to bid out soon the construction of Clark International Airport’s apron, which is expected to cost P1.4 billion.
Once completed, the apron is expected to provide parking space for United Parcel Service and Federal Express Corp., the logistics giants that have expanded their facilities in Clark.
‘This will allow more flights, bigger planes particularly, to be handled by Clark International Airport,’ Bingcang said of the planned improvements.
NSCR extension
As of the first half of 2026, Clark International Airport handled 1.64 million passengers, up 6 percent from a year earlier. Flight movements rose 27 percent to 14,987 during the same period.
Beyond the airport upgrades, Bingcang is also banking on a potential extension of the 144-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) to New Clark City instead of stopping at Clark International Airport.
He said National Commission on Indigenous Peoples chair Nancy Catamco informed him that the agency had already given its approval for the government to conduct feasibility studies for the potential extension.
The studies will be conducted by the Department of Transportation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Bingcang said the detailed design phase could take two years.