By HENRY EMPEÑO | June 19, 2026

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The issuance of instructions to challengers and other tender documents related to the Swiss challenge for the development of the Subic Bay international Airport (SBIA) has been rescheduled by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) anew.

In a notice posted last Wednesday, June 17, at the website of the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines (PPPCP), the SBMA moved the date for the issuance of and availability of tender and challenge documents to June 30.

This development further extended the timeline for the comparative bidding process, as all procurement milestones dependent on the issuance date will hence be adjusted, the SBMA said.

The tender documents outline requirements and legal agreements related to the project, as well as instructions to challengers and other project information.

SBMA has originally scheduled the release of tender documents on May 18 this year, but later reset the schedule to June 17, as reflected in a bulletin also posted on the PPPCP website.

Atty. John Aquino, chairperson of the Prequalification, Bids and Awards Committee for the Subic International Airport Project, said the schedule has been revised on instruction of SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño.

The new schedule, Aquino said, “ensures that technical specifications, financial parameters, and contractual frameworks are fully refined and comprehensive.”

The extension also “safeguards the integrity of the Comparative Challenge process and maintains equal footing for all participants,” he added, clarifying that no party has been prejudiced as the documents have not yet been released.

The SBMA has opened the P6.2-billion Subic airport project for comparative proposals, or Swiss challenge, after approving the unsolicited proposal by the original proponent Cerberus Asia Pacific Investments LLC.

Cerberus Asia Pacific Investments LLC is a key affiliate of the New York-based alternative investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, which also acquired the former Hanjin shipyard in Subic in 2022.

Information posted by the PPPCP on April 27 indicated that Cerberus submitted its unsolicited proposal for the SBIA project on March 26 last year.

Under the Swiss challenge, Cerberus is also allowed to match or better the financial proposal of the most superior challenger within 30 days, the SBMA had clarified.

The SBMA has set the Swiss challenge to be a single-stage bidding process, with each challenger required to submit three bids respectively containing qualification documents, technical proposal, and financial qualifications to the SBMA PBAC.

It also reserved the right to accept or reject any application or proposal at its discretion, annul the comparative challenge, or reject all proposals without liability for any associated costs.

The SBMA said the airport development project will transform the SBIA into a modern, efficient, and high-capacity international cargo hub that will serve the Luzon region.

The Subic airport was commissioned by the US Navy as the Naval Air Station Cubi Point in 1956. Following the Subic turnover in 1991, the SBMA upgraded the airport runway, built a US$ 12.6-million passenger terminal, and equipped the renamed SBIA with systems on a par with international standards. ▲