BORACAY GATEWAY RISES: San Miguel Corp. breaks ground on new Caticlan Airport terminal

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By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

San Miguel Corp. has officially broken ground on a new and expanded passenger terminal building at Caticlan Airport, the main gateway to Boracay Island, to support the growing number of tourists.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and San Miguel Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Ang led the ceremony on Monday, July 14, alongside officials from the Department of Transportation and local government units.

The two-story terminal will feature six passenger boarding bridges, 36 check-in counters, night-rated operations for 24/7 service, and the capacity to accommodate jet airliners for direct regional flights.

It is designed to handle up to 7 million passengers annually, with a peak capacity of 3,000 passengers at a time.

Target completion is set for 2027.

“While some of the right-of-way issues are being worked out, we have made enough progress, and with the design now ready, we can finally start building the PTB,” Ang said.

“We are confident that we can get this job done in 24 months,” he added.

The PHP2.51-billion contract to design and construct the terminal was awarded to Megawide Construction Corp. earlier this year.

Ang noted that development had long been delayed due to right-of-way concerns since SMC, through its subsidiary Trans Aire Development Holdings Corp., took operational control of the airport.

SMC acquired a majority stake in the Caticlan Airport Development Project in 2010 and holds a 25-year concession.

Ang said SMC focused on feasible improvements in the meantime, including the extension of the airport’s old runway from 600 meters to over 2,400 meters.

This upgrade enabled the airport to receive international flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Indonesia.

Marcos highlighted the importance of upgrading regional airports to help decongest Metro Manila and spur local economies.

“We are slowly putting together the building blocks of our policy of opening up our areas—tourist areas, our business areas—to international travelers without having to go through the Manila airport,” he said.

“It is not just Aklan who is involved in this. It is the entire region that will be assisted by the construction of this terminal building,” he added.

“The influx of people, of travelers, is going to be a big boost to the local economy and the national economy.”

Aklan Gov. Jose Enrique Miraflores said the expansion reflects the province’s growing role in national tourism.

“We remain committed to making every gateway to the province world-class and future-ready,” he said.

He added that the provincial government is also “equally aggressive” in improving local terminals, road networks and public amenities.