C01257-2019

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONSEC FORM 17-C

CURRENT REPORT UNDER SECTION 17
OF THE SECURITIES REGULATION CODE
AND SRC RULE 17.2(c) THEREUNDER

1. Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
Mar 1, 2019
2. SEC Identification Number
CEO2536
3. BIR Tax Identification No.
003-828-269-V
4. Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter
ABOITIZ EQUITY VENTURES INC.
5. Province, country or other jurisdiction of incorporation
Philippines
6. Industry Classification Code(SEC Use Only)
7. Address of principal office
32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines Postal Code 1634
8. Issuer's telephone number, including area code
(02) 886-2800
9. Former name or former address, if changed since last report
N.A.
10. Securities registered pursuant to Sections 8 and 12 of the SRC or Sections 4 and 8 of the RSA
Title of Each Class Number of Shares of Common Stock Outstanding and Amount of Debt Outstanding
Common Stock P1 Par Value 5,632,792,557
Amount of Debt Outstanding (September 30, 2018) 282,569,797,153.00
11. Indicate the item numbers reported herein
9

The Exchange does not warrant and holds no responsibility for the veracity of the facts and representations contained in all corporate disclosures, including financial reports. All data contained herein are prepared and submitted by the disclosing party to the Exchange, and are disseminated solely for purposes of information. Any questions on the data contained herein should be addressed directly to the Corporate Information Officer of the disclosing party.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.AEV

PSE Disclosure Form 4-31 - Press Release References: SRC Rule 17 (SEC Form 17-C)
Section 4.4 of the Revised Disclosure Rules

Subject of the Disclosure

CAAP grants Aboitiz ‘Original Proponent Status’ for Laguindingan Airport
Background/Description of the Disclosure

Business sector says improved airport necessary to fast-track region’s growth and attract investments

Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC), the infrastructure business unit of the Aboitiz Group, was granted Original Proponent Status (OPS) by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on February 26, 2019 for its unsolicited proposal for the upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance of the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental.

The PHP42.7 billion project involves capacity augmentation through expansion or construction of new passenger terminals, installation of required equipment, and enhancement and development of airside facilities.

“The granting of the OPS for the Laguindingan Airport opens up an opportunity for us to play a major role in improving our country’s vital gateways. We believe we can be instrumental in connecting our country’s local economies, thereby uplifting the lives of Filipinos. We look forward to progressing beyond project development, and into project execution and operations in 2019,” said AIC Chief Operating Officer Cosette Canilao.

The business sector in northern Mindanao enthusiastically welcomed this progress as they consider the rehabilitation and upgrade of the airport critical to the growth of investments and development of various industries in the region, particularly tourism.

“The airport is a very important factor. We are excited to know that Aboitiz got the OPS. It took us 20 years before this airport was built. We don’t want to wait another 20 years for its expansion,” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries Region 10 Governor Ghaye Alegrio said.

Alegrio pointed out that the northern Mindanao area got the lion share of the country’s newly registered investments in 2018. “The Board of Investments (BOI) reported that BOI-registered companies last year was about PHP900 billion and 25% of that was in northern Mindanao,” she stressed.

The chamber is also promoting the region’s tourism, with the introduction of new attractions and tourist spots like the Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon, which boasts as Asia’s longest dual zipline, and the Seven Seas Water Park in Misamis Oriental.

“There are five A’s for strategic investments ¿ arrivals, access, accommodations, attractions, and activities. We might have the attractions and accommodations but we don’t have the arrivals,” Alegrio noted. She lamented the lack of proper infrastructure including airport and seaport, which are urgently needed for all these investments to go forward.

Passenger traffic at Laguindingan Airport has been above the airport’s design capacity of 1.6 million passengers per year from the time the airport began operations in 2013, based on statistics from CAAP. In 2018, an estimated two million passengers passed through this airport.

Alegrio noted that with more investments coming in, traffic is expected to further increase in the coming years. She added there is a big opportunity to cater to international flights.


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About Aboitiz InfraCapital
Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) undertakes all of the infrastructure and infrastructure-related investments of the Aboitiz Group. Aside from AIC, the Aboitiz Group’s other infrastructure units include Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.’s (AEV’s) partnership with CRH plc, and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., a joint venture between AEV and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation that will build one of the country’s largest private bulk water supply projects.
Other Relevant Information

N/A
Filed on behalf by:
Name Sammy Dave Santos
Designation Associate General Counsel