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If food and beverage giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC), would have its way, it will redevelop the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), as it being geared to become the country’s premier international gateway.

San Miguel, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), that it is evaluating the viability of investing in the redevelopment of the DMIA Terminal 2 at Clark Free Port in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The corporate giant mulls on the investment plan when the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) announced its opening of its doors for new investors to redevelop and upgrade the facilities in DMIA. The Philippine government hopes to turn DMIA into a major gateway by 2013, replacing Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

CIAC has the mandate to develop, operate, manage and maintain the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, which is located within Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. It is used to be the biggest American military base outside the United States, and covers an area measuring 2,367 hectares. It has a 3,200-meter runway and associated taxiways, passenger terminal building and related facilities.

CIAC earlier received an offer from the Kuwaiti-led consortium Almal-Pride to redevelop DMIA. However, it was rejected by the CIAC board, which opens up the project to new proponents… such as the San Miguel Corporation.

Aside from the planned investment in the airline terminal, SMC said it commissioned a group of experts to prepare an in-depth study on the construction and operation of bullet train facilities which would cover the Laoag-Manila-Bicol route.

The company is also close to sealing the deal to acquire a majority stake in the modernization of Caticlan airport, which is the gateway to Boracay Island, just off Panay. SMC is coming in as a strategic partner of the group of Chinese-Filipino businessman George Yang, who bagged the right to modernize Caticlan airport under a 25-year concession arrangement with the government.