DOTr readies P14-B airport kitty

MANILA,  Philippines  -The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has earmarked P14 billion to fund various regional airport projects this year amid increasing air travel movements.

During the DOTr Aviation and Airports Town Hall Meeting held in General Santos City on Monday, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista stressed the need to improve air connectivity in the countryside.

Bautista said the multi-billion budget will go to projects in Catbalogan, Tacloban, Laoag, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, lloilo, and 16 other airports across the country.

The DOTr chief said that apart from these, they were also developing airports via public-private partnership (PPP) in coordination with the Asian Development Bank and International Finance Corp.

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These include the airports in Bohol, Siargao, Bacolod-Silay, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Davao and Iloilo.

The government has been going the PPP route due to the limited fiscal space, which was among the repercussions of the pandemic’s impact on the economy.

PPP route

Recently, the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines broke ground for the Laguindingan Airport expansion project.

The Northern Mindanao main gateway will increase its passenger capacity from 500 to 860 at any given time with this upgrade. It is estimated to cater to two million passengers yearly.

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The second busiest airport in Mindanao channels traffic to and from the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Marawi as well as the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon.

In Manila, the DOTr had also opened bids for the upgrade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the country’s main international gateway.

The project seeks to increase Naia’s annual passenger capacity to at least 62 million from 32 million. The winning bidder will be given a concession period of 15 years, which can be extended by another 10 years.

The agency received four proposals in December. A winner is expected to be named this month.

Naia saw passenger volume reach 45 million last year—or about 95 percent of the prepandemic level. The figure also showed a 47-percent increase from 2022 volume.

The DOTr is lining up airport upgrade projects in line with a positive outlook for the travel sector. The International Air Transport Association said that travel continues to show recovery, which is fueled by business trips and vacations.