Gov’t to build Bacong Airport in Negros Oriental

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade assured Oriental Negrenses that the government will push through with the construction of another airport in Bacong town, according to a report by Philippine Information Agency.

Tugade disclosed this in a recent media interview during his visit in Dumaguete City.

The DOTr secretary was in Negros Oriental on March 11 to join Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in inaugurating two development projects of DOTr in the province: the newly-renovated Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport in Sibulan town and the newly-constructed Port Operations Building of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) inside the Dumaguete Seaport.

Tugade arrived earlier than the President and he immediately inspected the improvements done at the airport.

Afterwards, he met local reporters in a press conference where he was asked about the status of the proposed Bacong Airport.

“Matutuloy po. Ang ang ginagawa ngayon ay iyong tinatawag na feasibility study at plano upang magkaroon ng paliparan. Iyong mga gawain kung saan inaayos ang ownership, iyong pag-acquire ng lote ay ginagawa (Yes it will push through. For now, the feasibility study is still ongoing. Aside from this, efforts are also underway in relation to land acquisition and settling land ownership),” Tugade said. 

“Hangarin po ng ating Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) sa pamumuno ni Jim Sydiongco na sa darating na taon ay ma-groundbreak yan (It will become a goal for the CAAP, under the leadership of Jim Sydiongco, to hold the groundbreaking in the coming years),” he added. 

Jim Sydiongco is the current Director-General of CAAP.

Local news agencies reported last year that the proposed Bacong Airport project was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the funds which were intended for the construction were diverted for COVID-19 response.

Meanwhile, the country’s transportation secretary highlighted that the improvements made at the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport is anchored on Duterte’s vision of making life comfortable for Filipinos.

“Mahal ng ating Pangulo ang Dumaguete. Kung mayroon tayong pasilidad na maayos, kung mayroon tayong pasilidad na binabago upang maging kombinyente at komportable ang mga mamamayan, iyong mga turista namamasyal dito sa Dumaguete, hindi po ba napakagandang regalo yan? (The President loves Dumaguete. If there are improvements applied in this facility to make it more convenient and comfortable to the people and to the tourists coming to Dumaguete, wouldn't that be a great gift from the President?),” Tugade emphasized.

Overall renovation of the airport costs P258-M.

Some of the improvements done are the expansion of the existing passenger terminal and administrative building of CAAP,  re-blocking of apron, overlaying of asphalt on the runway and shoulder grade correction, and construction of two taxiways.

Asked if there are plans to expand the existing runway since it is short and aircrafts find it hard to maneuver the said runway, Tugade said the government will still continue to introduce developments in the existing airport of Dumaguete.

“Ang improvement ho ay hindi natatapos. Kung may inconveniencing part dito sa airport, kung mayroon dapat gagawin nandito ang CAAP, nandito ang Administrasyong Duterte na gagawa at gagawa ng improvement na yan (Improvements are continuous. If there is a part in the airport that causes inconvenience, CAAP and the Duterte administration are here to implement additional enhancements),” Tugade explained.

The development projects in Negros Oriental are part of the government’s massive infrastructure program dubbed “Build, Build, Build.”

Tugade clarified that infrastructure development projects will not just focus in Luzon but will be implemented in the Visayas and Mindanao as well.

“Si Pres. Duterte ay hindi presidente ng Central Luzon kundi presidente ng pangkalahatan at buong Pilipinas kaya kung may proyekto sa Central Luzon, mayroon din proyekto sa Visayas at Mindanao. Kung may ginagawang puerto at inaayos sa Luzon, mayroon din inaayos dito. Mahigit 300 ang puertong ginagawa ang PPA. Malaking bahagi dyan sa Visayas at Mindanao (President Duterte is not just the president of Central Luzon but of the entire nation. If there are projets in Central Luzon there are also projects in the Visayas and Mindanao. If there are new ports being developed in Luzon, there are also ports being developed here. The PPA has over 300 port development projects and a big chunk of it is in the Visayas and Mindanao area),” Tugade said.