DOTC awards P3-B Bohol airport project

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded the P3.36-billion contract for the construction of the New Bohol airport to a joint venture of Japanese companies.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the contract for the first greenfield airport project of the Aquino administration has been awarded to the tandem of Chiyoda Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp.

“Another world-class airport will soon rise on the island of Panglao, to cater to the steadily-increasing number of tourists in Bohol. It will be developed as an eco-airport or one that features environmentally-sustainable technologies, in line with the province’s eco-tourism branding,” Abaya said.

According to Abaya, the construction of the airport with a design capacity of one million passengers per year is set to begin before the end of summer and would be completed in 2017.

“In a country filled with tourist hotspots on islands separated by seas, it is vital to develop and modernize our airports not only to better service our passengers, but to also enable economic growth for our people,” he said.

Abaya also announced the opening of a new wing of the passenger terminal building at the Kalibo international airport last March 26 as well as the opening of a new departure area with 10 check-in counters today.

The P44.3 million expansion project covering 4,000 square meters would be able to accommodate an additional 800 passengers at any given time.

“We’re happy to open Kalibo International Airport’s (KIA) new wing right as we enter the summer season. As always, we expect a high volume of visitors to Boracay in the next couple of months, so the new section will help meet this peak period demand,” Abaya said.

Likewise, Abaya announced the start of regular night flight operations at the gateway airport to Northern Mindanao through the Laguindingan airport last March 29.