Gov’t rehabs, upgrades Siquijor airport to boost island tourism

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

SIQUIJOR ISLAND—The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Visayas (OPAV) with the Provincial Government of Siquijor visited Thursday, April 22 the ongoing rehabilitation and upgrading of the Siquijor Airport which is included in the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build program with a support fund of P68-Million for the rehab/upgrade of the airport terminal and P500-Million for the runway.

OPAV Undersecretary Anthony Gerard Gonzales with IATF-Visayas Chief Implementor ret. M/Gen. Mel Feliciano and his wife Mia and Engr. Ricardo Mendoza discussed with Siquijor Governor Zaldy Villa and Congressman Jake Vincent Villa the ongoing program of works.

According to Gonzales that the passenger terminal building, powerhouse, and the vehicle parking area of the airport were completed in October 2020 and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) spearheaded the construction of the terminal and runway following a grant of exception from P350-million limit.

The government also provided additional funding of P450-million to extend the runway equivalent to that of Dumaguete Airport’s runway length and another P350 million to expand or widen the runway to accommodate bigger planes.  The bidding for the runway extension project will start next month, Gonzales bared.

The Governor and Congressman Villa are now optimistic that more tourists will flock to the Island-province once the new airport will begin its operation.  The governor also bared that the Province has already prepared a master plan/urban plan for Siquijor.

According to Villa that Siquijor will receive one million pesos for the Masterplan from Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) with direct coordination with TIEZA Board Member Mark Lapid. (Photos: OPAV/Siquijor)