DOTC sets aside P319M for repair of 2 airports

Airports in two provinces, which have the potential to become major tourist destinations, are set to be refurbished, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said this week.

Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas on Friday said P319 million was set aside to develop airports in Tacloban and Dipolog as the government moves to modernize more airports around the country.

“As the Philippines begins to experience renewed vigor in its business climate, President Aquino is prioritizing the building of infrastructure to sustain greater investment interest in the local market. In his State of the Nation Address, the President committed to develop, among others, modern airports,” Roxas said in a statement.

Roxas was named Interior and Local Government Secretary on Friday, to replace the former Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo, who died in a plane crash off Masbate last month.

The development of Tacloban and Dipolog Airports is part of the master plan set by Roxas to re-engineer the Philippines’ transport system.

About P251.6 million is allotted for the development of Tacloban Airport, particularly for the construction of new apron and taxiway, completion of north-east shore protection with shoulder grade correction, construction of drainage system with box culvert, and the construction of temporary transition.

About P66.9 million was allotted also for the Dipolog Airport.

Tacloban Airport is the eighth busiest airport in the country today.

In 2011, the airport reached a milestone as it hit the one-million mark for the first time, beating Clark International Airport, which is being primed as the country’s next premiere international gateway.