MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will study the relocation of three airports in Mindanao in a bid to expand their capacity in anticipation of higher demand.
In requests for expression of interest, the DOTr said it is spending P249.65 million for the delivery of feasibility studies and masterplans for new airports in Zamboanga, Camiguin and Surigao del Norte.
These Mindanao airports have to be transferred to other locations to widen their capacity to land bigger aircraft and take in more passengers.
The DOTr is investing P92.51 million for the rebidding of the detailed engineering design of the New Zamboanga Airport. The gateway is currently built in Barangay Canelar, Zamboanga City, but the DOTr is moving it to Barangays Mercedes and Talabaan.
The design has to cover the medium-term and long-term plans for the gateway. In turn, the DOTr expects the consultant to update a 2018 feasibility study projecting 1.99 million passengers in the airport by 2030 and 5.94 million by 2040.
On top of this, the DOTr is allocating P79.63 million for the completion of feasibility study and master plan in relocating the Camiguin Airport.
For this project, the consultant is expected to do a site selection study and recommend the most feasible one, as the DOTr moves to build a bigger gateway for Camiguin.
The agency sees the current airport as lacking in capacity to handle the demand for air travel to the province, with aircraft movement rising by half between 2022 and 2023.
The DOTr is also spending P77.51 million for delivery of a feasibility study and master plan to resettle the Surigao Airport. The agency wants to construct the New Surigao Airport elsewhere, as expanding the current facility would entail environmental and social risks.
The local government of Surigao wants the project prioritized to ensure that the city is prepared to receive more tourists. The New Surigao Airport will feature a runway of 2,100 meters, able to land larger aircraft like Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
Consultants interested in the projects have to submit their eligibility documents to the DOTr by Aug. 27.
