Bicol International Airport Gets Green Light

The Philippine government has given the green light for the proposed P4.7 billion Bicol International Airport project to proceed. The Department of Budget and Management recently released a Multi-Year Obligational Authority to the airport development project of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

daraga albay airport
Image Source: Wow Legazpi
A Multi-Year Obligational Authority is typically issued by the Department of Budget and Management to permit agencies to enter into multi-year contracts for foreign-assisted or locally funded projects. The proposed airport is to be developed in the Albay province of Bicol with targeted completion slated for 2016.

When the new airport is finished, it will provide the Bicol region with efficient, safe, and dependable air transport infrastructure that satisfies both international standards and best practices. The new airport will replace the ageing Legazpi Airport that currently suffers from routine cancellation of flights due to weather related issues.

It was announced in 2012 by the Civil Aviation Authority that the smaller Naga City airport located in Pili, Camarines Sur, would have equipment installed in order to handle night-time operations. However, nothing has been installed to date. Both airports in the region are currently inadequate for serving the needs of Bicol and the growing tourism in the area.

The Department of Budget and Management has already released P150 million of the P4.7 billion for the airport development project under the General Appropriations Act. P2.1 billion was spent between 2007 and 2012 making preparations for the development including earthworks, access road construction, preliminary engineering, and right-of-way acquisition.

According to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, the government intends to complete the airport before the next Presidential election. "The DOTC will finish the construction of the new Albay international airport by the end of President Aquino's term," said Abad. "Improvements like this will help further economic development in the Bicol region."

3 comments:

  1. Bakit sa lawak ng lupaing tinirikan ng Bicol International Airport ay wala man lang taxiway na kahilera ng runway, yung daan papuntang magkabilang dulo ng runway?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Another "international" airport with no international flights

    ReplyDelete
  3. ^^An international airport doesn't necessarily mean it should have international flights. It's an airport with INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

    ReplyDelete

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