San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said land development works for the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project in Bulacan continue to advance in line with international best practices, noting the continued engagement of Boskalis Westminster, one of the world’s leading dredging and marine infrastructure companies.
“Boskalis continues to support the NMIA development and remains engaged with SMC in our technical and advisory role. We are aligned in ensuring that all works meet internationally recognized standards,” Boskalis said.
SMC added that NMIA’s land development complies with International Finance Corporation (IFC) Environmental and Social Performance Standards, the benchmark for infrastructure projects supported by multilateral and global lenders. These standards govern project design, monitoring, risk mitigation, and community safeguards.
“These requirements exceed typical local regulations and ensure that all development works meet the highest global standards,” SMC said. “Very few projects in the Philippines operate under this level of environmental and social commitment and compliance.”
The company said the development is guided by extensive hydrological studies, independent engineering reviews, and continuous environmental monitoring, alongside long-term flood-mitigation measures for surrounding communities. SMC also continues river cleanup and rehabilitation efforts across Bulacan and nearby provinces at no cost to government.
“SMC has committed hundreds of billions of pesos to build a major international gateway that will benefit the country for generations,” the company said. “We remain fully committed to completing this project responsibly and in accordance with global best practices.”
SMC also addressed online posts casting doubt on the project’s viability, saying these do not reflect actual progress on the ground.
“Some claims circulating online are inaccurate and misleading. These can create unnecessary confusion for the public and concern among stakeholders,” SMC said. “We encourage anyone with questions about the project to raise them through proper channels, where they can be discussed transparently and with access to verified technical information.”
The company said it has asked Meta to review pages that repeatedly disseminate misleading information while concealing their identity, in line with the platform’s policies. Development activities, it added, remain guided by international standards and supported by experienced global partners.
