The Philippines has a long history of
underinvestment in the infrastructure sector coupled with a weak maintenance
culture for the existing infrastructure. Davao Airport, the third largest
airport in the country (after Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport and
Mactan-Cebu International Airport) in terms of passenger traffic is the gateway
to the Mindanao region and is currently operated by the Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). The region has experienced rapid
urbanization and traffic has grown to 4.5 million passengers in 2019
(surpassing design capacity of 3.8 million), before the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, passenger traffic went down to as low as ~500,000
passengers in 2021 but has then rebounded to ~2.7 million passengers in 2022
and ~3.4 million passengers in 2023. This passenger growth is expected to
continue in the coming years.
With the airport approaching its design capacity,
this will result in congestion and operational inefficiencies. The airport has
not had any major refurbishment in more than 20 years, which further contribute
to the operational inefficiencies in the airport. Considering the investment
and operational expertise this airport needs, along with government’s intention
to explore the PPP modality given the tight fiscal space it has, the use of a
PPP modality for Davao airport will help increase the airport capacity,
increase operational efficiency, and promote economic development for Davao
city and the wider Mindanao area.
The International Finance Corporation (“IFC”) has
been approached by the Philippines Department of Transport (“DOTr”) to act as
lead advisor in the structuring and implementation of a Public-Private
Partnership (“PPP”) for Davao Airport (the “Project”).
IFC is looking to hire an Environment & Social
(E&S) consultant firm to undertake E&S Scoping Study including a
preliminary noise risk assessment of Davao airport.
The E&S Scoping study will include review of
existing E&S documents, site visits for identification of key E&S risks
and mitigations, determination of applicable IFC E&S Performance Standards
(PSs), stakeholder analysis, brief gap analysis of E&S national regulation
with IFC PSs and associated costs and preparing TORs for additional E&S
studies. Preliminary noise risk assessment is expected to generate noise
contours for airport based on the current air traffic movements (ATMs) and for
one future scenario and estimate the approximate number of noise-sensitive
structures (residential properties, schools, hospitals) in the zones where
sound levels exceed the acceptable noise limits.
The E&S Consultant team is expected to include
the range of qualifications, skills and experience necessary to effectively
complete the required scope of work. The E&S Consultant should have
demonstrated previous experience in the following areas: (i) E&S due
diligence, ESIAs, E&S scoping studies using IFC PS and the World Bank
Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines EHS Guidelines in Philippines; (ii)
E&S assessments for airport projects; (iii) experience of developing noise
models for airports (iv) socio-economic studies, and stakeholder/community
engagement and consultation; (v) capacity to communicate the subject matter in
local language and English.
Qualification Criteria
- Provide information
showing the firm has relevant experience with the application of IFC PSs and
WBG EHS.
- Provide information
showing the firm has relevant experience in managing Scoping Studies, ESIAs
and/or E&S due diligence reviews for airport projects.
- Provide information
showing the firm has relevant experience in developing noise models for
airports using the Airport Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) of the Federal
Aviation Administration
- Provide information on
Life and fire safety reviews undertaken for airport projects
- Provide information
showing the firm has relevant experience preparing stakeholder engagement plan
for multilateral funded projects.
- Provide
information on experience in working on airport projects and / or Transportation
projects in the Philippines.
- Provide
information on the qualifications of key staff.
The
E&S Consultant’s team shall include the range of expertise and experience
required to effectively complete the scope of work. The key team members shall
have the following professional qualifications and experience:
- Lead
Environmental Specialist: IFC Performance Standards expertise and
experience in application, track record on E&S impact
assessment/auditing of airport projects with a minimum of 15 years of
relevant experience.
- Social
Specialist: Ph.D./Masters in social sciences and relevant applied sciences
with a minimum of 15 years’ work experience in conducting social impact
studies for infrastructure projects in accordance with IFC Performance
standards in Philippines. Experience of preparing stakeholder engagement
plan, resettlement action plan and/or livelihood restoration plan for
multilateral funded projects is required.
- Noise
modelling specialist: experience of more than 10 years in developing
acoustic models for assessing the noise impacts of airport operations
- Life
Fire Safety Specialist: experience with national and international codes
and specialized in providing services such as preparation of Life and Fire
Safety Master Plans and review of design documentation for airports.
- Biodiversity
Specialist: nationally or internationally recognized for knowledge of
biodiversity values (ornithology) and with proven experience with
application of IFC PS6.
- Local
E&S Expert (National): familiarity with (i) E&S aspects of the
region/area and local context, (ii) impacts of infrastructure projects,
and (iii) applicable national/local legislation.
Interested firms are encouraged
to submit the Express of Interests (EOI) through the procurement portal. A
detailed Terms of Reference will separately be provided when the Request for
Proposals (RFP) will be launched.