Ozamiz Airport starts P637-M upgrade

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has commenced with the P637-million upgrade and expansion of the Ozamiz Airport in Misamis Occidental.

The Ozamiz City airport development project, which broke ground last week, covers the construction of new landside facilities that are compliant with international standards.

The project includes the construction of a new passenger terminal building, aircraft parking apron, and taxiways for a more efficient operation of the airport.

According to the DOTr, the Ozamiz Airport will have a higher capacity of 1.5 million passengers a year upon completion, from the current capacity of 300,000.

“Once the project is completed, we expect more passengers and cargo that can be accommodated by the Ozamiz Airport. As President Duterte and DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade directed, make the Filipino life comfortable. That is what we are doing and will continue to do,” Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Jim Sydiongco said.

Meanwhile, the DOTr also inaugurated last week the P8.91 billion Bohol-Panglao International Airport, which is dubbed as the country’s first eco-airport.

The Bohol-Panglao International Airport can hold up to 650 passengers during its peak hours compared to the Tagbilaran Airport’s capacity of 400 passengers.

The airport features environmentally sustainable structures and green technology such as solar panels installed on the roof of the passenger terminal building which are expected to provide 30 percent of the airport’s electrical requirements, and a sewage treatment plant that will make waste water acceptable for reuse or for returning to the environment.