The Philippine Online Chronicles

President Benigno Aquino III announced yesterday that talks on the lease of the Philippine Navy's major facilities in Taguig City and on Roxas Boulevard to a private developer has reached advanced stages.

The announcement, made during Aquino's visit to the Philippine Star offices, is consistent with the Philippine Daily Inquirer's July 12 report that Aquino was considering the proposition to rent out the prime properties of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which includes the 25-hectare land of the Navy, the 100-hectare lot of the Army, and 35-hectare property of the Air Force.

Similarly, during his first State of the Nation Address last Monday, the president disclosed a proposition to transfer the Navy Headquarters to Camp Aguinaldo. Mentioning the Philippine Navy's insufficient facilities such as the mere 32 boats –some of which he said to be "as old as the time of General Douglas MacArthur"—for 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, Aquino discussed the need to enlist the help of the business sector to keep the Navy afloat and for it to pick up speed in the modernization race in which it has been terribly lagging behind.

The private developer, who is yet to be named, will immediately give USD100 million (P4.57 billion) as goodwill money, Aquino said. This should be enough for the Philippine Navy to purchase four new ships, he continued.

“They will take care of the funding necessary to transfer the Navy headquarters to Camp Aguinaldo. Immediately, we will be given USD100 million. Furthermore, they will give us a portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent,” Aquino was quoted as saying.

Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said that this is a welcome development. The proposition to lease out the high-value properties of the military had been raised by AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David Jr. during a closed-door command conference.

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