DOTR Allots 270M For Bacong Airport

Dumaguete Airport To Close in 5 years

11 March 2021

Dumaguete City -The Department of Transportation (DOtr) disclosed yesterday that they have allotted P270 Million for Bacong Airport Lot acquisition.

CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco said the airport lot has already been surveyed, land appraised and runway orientation approved. It will be constructed in the villages of Doldol, Calangag, Tubod, and Isugan.

"It will have a north south orientation. It runs parallel to the shoreline," Sydiongco said.

According to Sydiongco, after lot acquisition, consultancy works follow which will become the basis of the airport design.

The airport project which has a price tag of $137 million will require at least 170 to 180 hectares of land and will replace Dumaguete airport in 5 years.

"This airport design will be submitted to Korea Eximbank (KEXIM) for funding. They already agreed to fund this project," the Director General said.

Capt. Sydiongco dispel rumors that the project were shelved saying they were busy with paper works preparatory to ODA (Official Development Assistance) grant. 

Sydiongco said airport construction will start in 2 years time after review by Neda this year, and will be completed in 5 years beyond the term of President Rodrigo Duterte. 

"It may break ground next year before President Duterte steps down from Office," adds Sydiongco.

Dumaguete airport rehabilitation project includes the re-blocking of the apron to accommodate 3 more parking position equivalent to 5 parking bays, upgrading of two taxiways, expansion of the existing Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), runway asphalt overlay and shoulder grade correction, and the expansion of the CAAP Administrative Building.

The improvements resulted to the upgrade of the airport’s capability to accommodate heavier A321 aircraft and increased the terminal’s passenger capacity from 330 to 450.

Sydiongco said existing Dumaguete Airport can no longer support growing traffic because of its peculiar terrain. It said the airport terminal and apron expansion would be the last as it was opened today.

"The old airport cannot simply support more flights into the future," according to Sydiongco.

Bacong Airport is part of the Build, Build, Build project of Duterte Administration.