-
The United States Trade and Development Agency is funding the feasibility study for the proposed Sangley Point International Airport
-
Fund was awarded to airport project developer Cavitex Holdings Inc., which selected California-based The S-A-P Group, LLC to conduct the study
-
The project aligns with the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative aimed at strengthening connectivity and economic resilience in an area spanning north and south of the capital
-
The Philippines, US, and Japan also announced this week the expansion of LEC partnership to include Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom
-
The new partner countries are providing technical assistance, financing, and facilitation of private sector investments in various sectors, including infrastructure, digital connectivity, and transport
The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is funding the feasibility study for the proposed Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA), located at a former US naval base in Cavite.
The fund was awarded to the airport project developer, Cavitex Holdings Inc. (Cavitex), which selected California-based The S-A-P Group, LLC (SAP) to conduct the study, according to USTDA.
“The high volume of direct international travel between the United States and the Philippines reflects the steadfast friendship of our two countries, and we share a desire to see passenger traffic flourish safely and efficiently,” Thomas Hardy, USTDA deputy director, said in a statement.
“This project is one of many shared priorities with the Philippines government to achieve our collective goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Hardy said.
The airport, located immediately south of the capital Metro Manila, is envisioned to ease congestion at the main gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
USTDA said the study will further high-quality infrastructure to serve the Philippines’ projected aviation needs and define strong security measures to protect direct flights to several major US aviation hubs.
SAP will provide US technical expertise to guide the airport’s development, including air traffic forecasts, financial analyses, and recommendations for advanced security screening at an airport expected to have direct flights to the US.
“Cavitex Holdings Inc. welcomes the grant from the USTDA, highlighting its importance in accelerating the development of the SPIA, a key infrastructure project under the SPIA Devt Consortium,” Cavitex president and CEO Leonides J.M. Virata said.
The Philippine Competition Commission approved in October 2024 the proposed joint venture between the Cavite provincial government and the consortium formed by Cavitex Holdings, Inc. and House of Investments, Inc. for the development of the airport.
Luzon Economic Corridor
The project aligns with the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) initiative aimed at strengthening connectivity and economic resilience in an area spanning north and south of the capital.
READ: Luzon Economic Corridor investor forum planned to draw global capital
Sangley’s construction will address Manila’s rising travel demand and air traffic congestion by expanding the city’s capacity for both cargo and passenger traffic, USTDA said, noting that NAIA served about 52 million travelers in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Philippines, US, and Japan announced the expansion of LEC partnership to include Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“The expansion of the LEC partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration among like-minded nations committed to transparency and shared prosperity,” Philippine Finance secretary Frederick Go, co-chair of the LEC Steering Committee, said in a statement from the US Embassy in Manila.
The LEC, launched in April 2024 as the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) corridor in the Indo-Pacific, enhances connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas. Cavite is located between Manila and Batangas.
The new partners have committed to contribute the following:
- Australia – mobilizing investment through Australia’s Manila Deal Team, reinforced by technical assistance under the Partnerships for Infrastructure program and a new P1.9 billion (US$32.6 million) partnership with the Philippines on inclusive economic growth
- Denmark – revitalizing Philippine shipbuilding, advancing green maritime innovation, and fostering investments, jobs, and sustainable industrial development
- France – financing 100 bridges through official development assistance, and industrial capacity building through a foreign direct investment project in the aeronautics sector
- Italy – contributing to the development of quality, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure by increasing its public financial support in order to facilitate private sector investment from Italian companies in the transport, semiconductors, and manufacturing sectors
- The Republic of Korea – contributing to enhanced transport and digital connectivity, and sustained economic growth along the LEC, through Official Development Assistance and Public-Private Partnership initiatives, including a P1.5 billion ($25.6 million) grant to establish the National Cyber Security Center and the NAIA modernization PPP Project
- Sweden – contributing to the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas freight railway through a P74-million (US$1.2 million) grant to fund a feasibility study on signaling systems and operational models
- The United Kingdom – deploying its full Growth and Investment Partnerships (GIP+) toolkit in the LEC, providing technical assistance, P411 billion (US$6.8 billion) in export finance, and mobilizing capital towards infrastructure and energy projects
“This initiative is creating real opportunities for U.S. business, our Philippine partners, and investors across the Indo-Pacific while countering exploitative infrastructure practices with a better alternative,” said US Ambassador Heather Variava, senior advisor for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs.
Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Endo Kazuya highlighted that the expanded partnership “reflects our shared vision for quality infrastructure development that respects transparency, sustainability, and the rule of law.”
READ: Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas freight rail regulatory issues tackled
