DOTr invites bidders for Laguindingan Airport upgrade, operations

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) invites bidders for the improvement, expansion, operations, and maintenance of the Laguindingan International Airport in Misamis Oriental. (Photo from the CAAP Area X/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has invited bidders to improve, expand, operate, and maintain the Laguindingan International Airport in Misamis Oriental.

The DOTr launched on February 22 the Swiss challenge, or comparative bidding process, after receiving the unsolicited proposal for the airport’s privatization, which would be carried out through a public-private partnership or PPP.

READ: PH seeks rival offers for Bohol, Laguindingan airport upgrades

In a statement Friday, the agency said that after the proposal was submitted to the DOTr and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the National Economic and Development Authority evaluated and eventually approved the plan.

“Hence, following the procurement rules and procedures applicable to unsolicited proposals under the PPP Code, the Comparative Challenge Process must be conducted,” the DOTr explained.

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The Laguindingan International Airport is one of the airports lined up for privatization as its upgrade aims to define the “development of international flights, implementing commercial services, and expanding the airport’s capacity to enhance passenger experience,” according to the DOTr.

The airport’s improvement is also part of the government’s Infrastructure Flagship Projects.