THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) wants to develop six green onesfifield airports, including ongoing projects in Zamboanga, Dumaguete and Siargao.
Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said at an aviation forum that preparatory work is underway for these three airports, including land acquisition activities.
New airports are also being studied for Masbate, Naga and Pangasinan, he added.
“For the greenfifield airports that we are planning, one is Zamboanga airport. We will move the Zamboanga airport from its current location to a location 15 kilometers away,” Mr. Bautista said.
The land acquisition for the Zamboanga airport is expected to take between two and three years, Mr. Bautista said, while construction will take another year. fifive years.
“We are already in the process of purchasing land,” he said.
The development of Dumaguete Airport, meanwhile, will be accelerated by a financing agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank), Mr. Bautista said.
The Department of Finance (DoF) has signed a P13.15 billion loan agreement with Korea’s Eximbank to finance the new Dumaguete Airport.
The DOTr is also working to complete the land acquisition for the Dumaguete project, which will rise on a 197.55-hectare site in Bacong, Negros Oriental.
“We signed a loan agreement with the DoF a month ago. And we are now in the process of acquiring the land. We have transferred funds to the Bacong Municipal Government so that they can continue with the land acquisition,” he said.
Mr. Bautista said the department is also looking at developing a new airport in Siargao.
Mr. Bautista said the DOTr is now working with several local government units (LGUs) in Siargao to move the project forward.
“It might take three to five years to implement all of this. In the meantime, we are expanding and modernizing all other airports in the country,” he said.
The modernization of regional airports will be pursued in addition to the privatization of Laguindingan International Airport in Northern Mindanao and the New Bohol-Panglao International Airport, he said.
“For the privatization of other airports, we are now working closely with the ADB (Asian Development Bank) World Bank and the IFC (International Finance Corp.),” he said.
Projects to be implemented next year in the form of public-private partnerships (PPPs) include the modernization and rehabilitation of airports in Basco, Batanes; Busuanga, Coron, Palawan; Cauayan Town, Isabela; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; Bacolod City; Calbayog and Catbalogan Samar; Catarman, Northern Samar; Ormoc, Leyte; Davao City; General Santos City and Surigao City.
The ADB is helping the DOTr evaluate how to proceed with upgrading, expanding or constructing the airport projects, he said.
The DOTr just completed its largest PPP project: the acquisition of San Miguel-led New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. of the operation and maintenance of Ninoy Aquino International Airport from September 14.
The deal was touted as the fastest PPP project to progress from submission through investment coordination committee approval to signing of the concession agreement. — Ashley Erika O Jose