‘CLOSER TO REALITY?’: lloilo airport expansion included in nat’l government’s PPP project

By John Noel E. Herrera

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the Iloilo International Airport is among several airports set to be upgraded and expanded under the national government’s public-private partnership (PPP) projects in 2023.

“Ini isa man ni sa gina set-up sang national government for the PPP, that’s what we gathered from the airport management,” Defensor said in a press conference on Thursday, Dec 29, 2022.

Defensor explained that the airport expansion was already in the pipeline for years already, but it did not materialize.

“It is really up for expansion… 2019 at the end of my term as congressman, former President Gloria (Macapagal-Arroyo) was the speaker, dapat mapa-committee hearing kami da, the committee of transportation (about), the (Iloilo) airport to talk about the expansion kay during that time there was a budget, waay ko lang makita, except that after that it was transitioned kay manug-election, then wala na madayon, pero it is really up for expansion,” the governor said.

In 2019, House Speaker Arroyo noted that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) granted an original proponent status (OPS) to the unsolicited proposal submitted by the Villar Group of Manuel Villar Jr. for the expansion of the Iloilo airport.

The proposal was then forwarded to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) for evaluation and approval before undergoing a Swiss challenge, but the expansion did not materialize after that.

In October 2022, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said that the national government, through a PPP scheme, will complete at least P1 trillion worth of airport projects in the provinces in 2023. Among these is the Iloilo International Airport.

CAAP-Iloilo Airport terminal supervisor Art Parreno also said that the expansion is “long overdue”, especially the runway and departure area as the three airlines – Philippine Airlines, AirAsia, and Cebu Pacific – already resumed their usual number of flights.

Parreno added that the airport expansion would create a more positive impact on the economy, as well as improve the airport’s situation, which already reached its target passenger traffic a long time ago.

Defensor, on the other hand, said that he is set to return to Manila in January 2023 for a meeting with the Department of Works and Highways (DPWH) for the province’s project requests.

“I will go back there sa early part of January, I’m setting a meeting with Secretary Benhur Abalos and then we will reset a meeting with the DPWH, together with many of our requests nga ginapangayo naton like the expansion of our airport,” Defensor said.

“Kay ang airport na, we are monitoring, may mga challenges da subong ang aton aircon that is undergoing renovation and procurement, we will also request our manager to improve the monitoring devices there, including our comfort rooms, the functionality, and order of our toilets and other facilities,” he added.

The governor also emphasized that it is important to expand the terminal, as when the time comes that international flights will resume, the airport will become more crowded.

“Kung magbalik sa pre-pandemic ang flights naton kag mag-dulungan na da sila, hindi ka-igo ang mga tao sa departure, amu na ka practical ang expansion nga kinahanglan naton,” he said.

CAAP-Iloilo said that the main passenger terminal was designed to accommodate 400 to 450 passengers and the airport now caters 20 flights with every flight having 170 to 200 passengers.

Meanwhile, Defensor said it remains uncertain when international flights will resume at the Iloilo International Airport.

The governor noted that despite the downtrend in COVID-19 cases and the province’s readiness and preparedness to resume, there are still no demands or requests from airline companies for direct flights to Singapore and Hong Kong.

“No, again, that is demand-driven, nagahulat lang kita nga mag-ayo sila and we are ready. Pero, you know, ang aton flights dira, I checked with the manager, gamay na lang man ang diperensya sang pre-pandemic flight kumpara subong. I think 9 flights na lang ang deperensya, gamay na lang,” he added.