Look: New Manila International Airport, where airports go, investors follow

Manila’s second airport is kicking things up a notch. With 80% of the land prepped — especially the seaside stacking near Manila Bay — the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan is nearly ready for takeoff.

Terminal building construction is all set to launch in 2026, so get ready for sky-high changes and excitement ahead.

What we know so far:

GROUND PREPARATION, PILING WORK: This is a screegrab from a video taken/uploaded in May 2024 showing ground works, including reclamation and piling. Need scale? Just squint at that tiny construction equipment (in yellow) — then realise it's probably the size of a bus. Piling work is crucial in construction because it provides a strong, stable foundation, especially when building on weak or unstable soil where traditional shallow foundations wouldn’t be safe or effective.

LET'S BACKTRACK: On September 18, 2019, the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) concession agreement was signed between Department of Transportation (DOTr) then-Secretary Arthur Tugade and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President Ramon Ang.

INFRASTRUCTURE KING: The tycoon leading the $15-billion build-operate-transfer (BOT) concession is Filipino billionaire Ramon Ang, CEO of Manila-based conglomerate SMC, which has operations and exports products to over 60 countries. Ang, an engineer, signed the 50-year concession to build Manila’s second aviation gateway, in Bulacan province, 30 minutes north of the capital.

THE FUTURE: An artist's rendering of the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) rising on a 2,500-hectare property in Bulacan province. Once completed, it will have a capacity for up to 100 million passengers annually.

DRONE VIEW ALERT: Manila’s 2nd airport is no joke. Just look at this June 2025 drone shot — what was once open water, some heavily silted parts and mangroves in Manila Bay is now a massive, levelled expanse getting its final land prep touches before tonnes of reinforcement steel bars and concrete are brought in.

$15-BILLION AIRPORT NO. 2: NMIA is the Philippine capital's second international airport, and funded by private money. An artist's rendering of the New Manila International (Airport NMIA), which will be developed in Bulacan province (north of the Philippine capital) on a 2,500-hectare property, with planned links to expressways and a train station (as part of the under-construction MRT-7).

RECLAIMED FROM THE SEA: What used to be fishponds in Taliptip-Bambang, Bulacan is now a massive reclaimed site prepped for runways, terminals, and jet bridges. Reclamation + piling works along Manila Bay? 80% complete. It’s the calm before the concrete storm.

DECONGESTION: The build-operate-transfer (BOT) NMIA project, covered by a 50-year concession, calls for a new airport to decongest over-congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Passengers queue up to board a Cebu Pacific aircraft at Manila's only airport.

PROPERTY VALUES: The New Manila International Airport (NMIA) is landing soon-ish — and it’s not just runways that are about to rise. Property prices in the area are already revving their engines. A report from Leechiu Property Consultants says land values around NMIA could take flight too. You know what they say — where airports go, investors follow.

BUILDING AIR BRIDGES: A picture of a map showing the location of San Miguel's New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. That area is just about 4 km north of Navotas, a distance that could easily be covered by another SMC proposal: extending Roxas Boulevard northward and MRT Line 7 (also under construction).

A BIT OF HISTORY, A TASTE OF THE FUTURE: So if you’re scouting for the next big thing in real estate or just want to live near the Philippines' future Changi-style airport, a spot near NMIA could be a good long-term investment, say property researchers at Leechiu. Bulacan (photo shows the City of Malolos government building), known as the "land of heroes" and is recognised for its craftsmanship in jewellery, leather crafts and pyrotechnics — is about to soar.