Budget for aviation infrastructure down to P2.5 billion next year

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) wants to develop at least 50 airports nationwide next year, but can only proceed with five projects due to limited budget for aviation facilities.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista yesterday informed lawmakers that the DOTr can only pursue five airport projects in 2023 as the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) gave the agency just P2.5 billion for the development of aviation infrastructure.

“We are really looking at developing and improving airports in the Philippines,” Bautista said.

“We requested a budget for 50 airports to improve (existing facilities) or to develop new ones for next year. Unfortunately, the DBM granted us a budget for just five airports,” he said.

The DBM even denied the DOTr of any funding to conduct feasibility studies for planned airports in the regions, including in Iloilo and Pangasinan. For instance, Bautista said his agency asked for P905 million to enhance the Iloilo International Airport, but the DBM rejected the request and excluded it in the expenditure plan.

“In fact, we wanted the Iloilo International Airport to be improved and we requested a budget of P905 million, but unfortunately it’s not part of the budget that was approved,” Bautista said.

“For now, we don’t have any budget for feasibility studies and we really sought a budget for that, but unfortunately we were granted zero budget for feasibility studies,” he said.

Abono Partylist Rep. Robert Estrella who hails from Pangasinan inquired why the government has not pushed on with the construction of the P5.6 billion Hundred Islands International Airport.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) acting director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo said the project can only push through if the government sets aside a budget for it. On the part of CAAP, the agency has already spent P400 million to purchase the lot for the airport and surround it with fences.

“We are aware of the Alaminos property. It belongs to CAAP. What we have completed there is we secured the lot and encircled it with fences. Hopefully, given the budget, we can proceed on to the next stage of development,” Tamayo said.

Similar to the denied airport proposals, the DOTr asked for P680 million to pursue the Hundred Islands International Airport, but the DBM turned down the request and left it out of the proposed budget.

Under the 2023 budget, the proposed funding for the DOTr more than doubled to P167.1 billion, the bulk of which at P105.2 billion will be spent on railway projects, leaving only P2.5 billion for the development of aviation infrastructure.