Government bent on upgrading regional airports

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is bent on upgrading the country’s regional airports even without the private sector’s participation.

Transportation Undersecretary for aviation Manuel Tamayo said the government is keen on pushing through with airport projects which have received unsolicited proposals from various private groups should any of them decide to back out.

“Whether they push through or not, we’re doing it,” Tamayo said.

So far, Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc.’s unsolicited proposal to upgrade, operate and maintain the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp.’s unsolicited offer for the development, operation, and management of the Davao International Airport have passed the DOTr’s scrutiny and have been endorsed to the NEDA ICC.

The DOTr’s endorsement means the revised offers were compliant with the government’s requirement to pattern the project’s concession terms with that of the Clark International Airport following the agency’s evaluation and review.

An unsolicited offer to upgrade, expand, operate and maintain the Laguindingan Airport has also been revised and resubmitted by Aboitiz InfraCapital. The project is currently being evaluated by the DOTr.

The DOTr is still awaiting for the revised proposals from the other groups.

Other existing unsolicited proposals received by the DOTr for the expansion, operations and maintenance of regional airports include Prime Asset Ventures Inc. of the Villar group for the Puerto Princesa and Iloilo International airports, Mega7 Construction Corp. for the Kalibo International Airport and Udenna Infrastructure Corp. for the Bacolod-Silay Airport and the Busuanga Airport in Palawan.

Only Udenna’s submissions for the Bacolod-Silay and Busuanga Airports have not been granted the original proponent status by the government among these proposals so far.

The DOTr has completed the rehabilitation and upgrade of 15 commercial airport projects in the first half of the Duterte administration.

The agency earlier said it is targetting to complete the upgrade of 27 more commercial airports in the country before the term of President Duterte ends on 2022.

International airports in Bicol, Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Kalibo, and Laoag are also undergoing improvements, while development projects continue as well for domestic airports in Busuanga, Cauayan, Naga, and Tuguegarao in Luzon; Bacolod-Silay, Calbayog, Catbalogan, Dumaguete, and Tacloban in the Visayas; and Bukidnon, Ipil, Laguinduingan, Mati, M’lang, Ozamiz, Sanga-Sanga, Siargao, and Surigao in Mindanao.