For airport expansion : Expropriate land, DOTC asks Davao City court

DAVAO CITY — The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has filed a court petition to expropriate about 1.3 hectares of private lots for the ongoing P4.9-billion expansion of the Davao International Airport.

To be affected by the expropriation proceedings are at least 35 homeowners of the Roseville, Vincent Heights, Lea and De Guzman subdivisions, and private firms such as Davao Akasya Ventures, PGS Realty Corp. and Davao Motor Sales Corp.

The refusal of the lot owners to sell their properties has snagged the airport expansion project, forcing the DOTC to seek a court-approved expropriation. The project is scheduled to be completed in April next year.

The expropriated land will be used as sites for navigational aids, runway lights and a landing instrument system.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez signed the expropriation petition.

The much-awaited new airport facilities are expected to trigger further economic growth for Davao City and its environs. The new passenger terminals could accommodate over 1.2 million passengers.

The existing runway has also been expanded to 3,000 meters, enabling it to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft such as Boeing 747s.