250 aviation, airport projects completed in 6 years – DOTr
ADVANCED air connectivity and mobility in the country and to the rest of the world – this has been the aim of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), under the leadership of Secretary Art Tugade, since taking office six years ago.
The DOTR has been “relentless” in working above and beyond to pursue this mandate and remains “committed” to building new gateways and rehabilitating existing ones up to the last day of office.
Since the advent of the Duterte Administration in 2016, the DOTr, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), has completed 250 aviation and airport projects.
The completed projects include the new passenger terminal of the Clark International Airport, the new and world-class Bicol International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Puerto Princesa International Airport, Zamboanga International Airport, Catarman Airport, Calbayog Airport, Siquijor Airport, General Santos Airport, Ormoc Airport, Virac Airport, Camiguin Airport, Butuan Airport, among others.
Moreover, wasting no time at all and even in the final stretch of the current administration, the DOTr’s Aviation and Airports sector continued to oversee the developments at the NAIA, Vigan Airport, Surigao Airport, Siargao Airport, and Davao International Airport.
Other notable projects for the country’s aviation and airports include the establishment of the long-delayed Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), as well as the night-rating of 23 commercial airports, in a bid to increase the operational efficiency of airports and reduce daytime flight congestion.
To recall, among the longstanding issues that the DOTr has resolved are the “Laglag-Bala” and “Bukas Bagahe” incidents in airports.
From being tagged as the “world’s worst airport”, the NAIA has been recognized as one of the world’s “most improved in the world.”
Tugade said, “This is what we have done – build the airports, improve, modernize, make it world-class.”
