Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to complete several regional airport projects worth P1 trillion by next year.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said these ongoing airport projects include the construction and enhancement of Tuguegarao Airport, San Vicente Airport, Tacloban airport, Antique airport, Bacolod-Silay Airport, Catbalogan Airport, Davao International Airport, M’lang Airport, Sanga-Sanga Airport and Ozamiz Airport.
“These projects are all set to be completed by 2023. They have a total projected cost of close to P1 trillion,” he said during an event hosted by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines in Pasay City on Monday. According to Bautista, the DOTr has been “addressing the air connectivity needs of Filipinos by increasing airport terminal building capacity and improving airport facilities by applying technology solutions.”
The government recently formally opened the new passenger terminal building at Clark International Airport, which could accommodate as many as eight million passengers annually.
PPP scheme
Bautista underscored the importance of the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme in rolling out major infrastructure programs.
Under the scheme, some regional airports are being eyed for upgrading, including those in Bohol, Laguindingan, Bicol, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Davao, Bacolod, Kalibo, Busuanga, and Siargao. Four new regional airports in Dumaguete, Siargao, Zamboanga, and Masbate would also be constructed.
“We are also looking at modernizing existing major international gateways through ongoing projects such as the P206.96 million airside improvement projects at Bicol International Airport which will see the continuation of the construction of access road, runway strip width, and taxiway drainage system at the country’s newest international airport,” Bautista said.
Last month, the Cavite provincial government awarded to the Virata-Yuchengco-led consortium the Sangley Point International Airport project with a projected annual capacity of 25 million passengers initially. There are also plans to build a second runway to further expand capacity to 75 million passengers per year. Construction of the airport is expected to begin next year.
Meanwhile, Bautista said they were also “closely monitoring the game-changing New Manila International Airport that is slowly rising in Bulacan,” a project of San Miguel Corp.
The Sangley and Bulacan airports are expected to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main gateway.
“While there may be challenges in the completion of these big-ticket projects, the DOTr, CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines), and other aviation agencies continuously work toward creating a fully connected Philippine sky,” Bautista said.
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