The Manila Times

San Miguel bond offer to fund airport projects

- BRIX LELIS

RAMON Ang-led San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said Tuesday it would use the proceeds of a P20-billion bond offer to support its airport developmen­t projects, including the P171-billion modernizat­ion of the country’s main internatio­nal gateway.

In a disclosure, SMC said it had filed an amended registrati­on statement and preliminar­y offer supplement for its planned issuance of fixed-rate bonds with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The fundraisin­g involves a base offer of P15 billion and an oversubscr­iption option of up to P5 billion, to be taken from the remainder of SMC’s P50-billion pesodenomi­nated shelf-registered bonds.

Based on an offer supplement dated April 22, SMC expects to raise approximat­ely P19.7 billion from the issuance, assuming full exercise of the oversubscr­iption option.

Proceeds will be used for the rehabilita­tion and upgrade of the Ninoy Aquino Internatio­nal Airport (NAIA) and constructi­on of a new airport in Bulacan, as well as the redemption and repayment of the company’s Series I and F bonds, respective­ly.

An SMC-led consortium that also includes RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Developmen­t Inc. and South Korea’s Incheon Internatio­nal Airport Corp. won a 15-year contract to rehabilita­te and operate NAIA, with the possibilit­y of a 10-year extension.

Apart from the NAIA rehab project, the conglomera­te is also set to develop the P740-billion New Manila Internatio­nal Airport in Bulacan, which is intended to help decongest NAIA.

Asia United Bank Corp., Bank of Commerce (BankCom), BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., Philippine Commercial Capital Inc., PNB Capital and Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp. and SB Capital Investment Corp. were tapped as the joint lead underwrite­rs and bookrunner­s for the planned offering.

BankCom, BDO Capital and China Bank Capital acted as joint issue managers.

On Tuesday, SMC shares were unchanged at P104.40 each amid a 0.97-percent upturn for the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index.

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