{
  "id": 5363414,
  "title": "Ang: Airport project did not cause Bulacan flooding",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/ang-airport-project-did-not-cause-bulacan-flooding",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-03T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Philippine Star Business",
    "slug": "philippine-star-business",
    "url": "https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/09/04/2553821/ang-airport-project-did-not-cause-bulacan-flooding"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), the developer of New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan, has refuted claims that its airport development contributed to recent flooding. SMAI asserts that the NMIA is designed with long-term flood mitigation measures in place. The project underwent extensive research, engineering studies, and hydrological modeling from 2018 to develop a solution addressing the area's flooding risks. SMAI worked with Dutch marine engineering firm Boskalis to find an alternative to extensive river widening, avoiding mangrove areas, and removing over 4.3 million metric tons of silt and waste from local rivers. SMAI emphasizes that the airport's flood protection measures should not be conflated with the broader challenge of managing flooding in Bulacan, as both are separate issues. The company insists that NMIA does not cause Bulacan's flooding, which is a longstanding problem for the region, driven by its low-lying geography, heavy rainfall, limited river capacities, and land subsidence. SMAI stresses that its responsibility is to ensure the airport is built for these conditions and does not exacerbate the flooding problem in Bulacan.",
  "summary": "San Miguel Aerocity Inc. , the developer of the New Manila International Airport (NMIA), has maintained that its airport development in Bulacan includes long-term flood mitigation measures, as it pushed back against claims linking the airport to recent flooding.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}