The rehabilitation and expansion of the Iloilo International Airport is among the priority projects of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
According to DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista, the airport in the town of Cabatuan, Iloilo province will undergo improvement through the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.
“We notice that there is really a need to improve it,” he said during an economic briefing in Iloilo City.
The proposed project “could help the economy of Iloilo and the neighboring areas and also attract more visitors and tourists,” the transportation secretary added.
Once implemented and completed, the airport’s annual passenger capacity is expected to increase from 1.2 million to 10 million.
Based on a report released by the PPP Center, two investors submitted unsolicited proposals (USPs) to DOTr for the project.
The USPs were submitted by Villar-led Prime Asset Ventures, Inc. (PAVI) in the amount of P6.89 billion and Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) in the amount of P9.95 billion.
“We need to get more information from them and they need to submit more documents for us to be able to assess their proposals,” Bautista said.
The USPs will then be evaluated by the Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
“With that approval, we will go back to them and negotiate for the final parameters, terms and conditions and if we agree, babalik na naman kami ulit sa NEDA to get the final approval,” Bautista explained.
Recently, the Regional Development Council’s Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) and Economic Development Committee (EDC) approved a joint resolution urging DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to expedite the review of the unsolicited proposals USPs.
“With the potential opening of international flights and relaxation of travel restrictions, further growth at the airport [in the town of Cabatuan, Iloilo province] is expected requiring expansion and upgrading to meet the demands of a rising influx of passengers,” the resolution stated.
“The airport expansion is vital in the local and international job creation , trade and tourism of Western Visayas, which posted the highest economic growth rate among all regions in 2022 at 9.3 percent, exceeding the national average of 7.2 percent,” it further stated.IMT
