P206 M earmarked for Kalibo airport upgrade

MANILA, Philippines -  The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has earmarked P206 million for the upgrade of the Kalibo International Airport (KIA), which serves as an alternative gateway to Boracay.

In an invitation to bid, the DOTC is giving interested bidders until Sept. 26 to submit their bids.

The project entails construction of taxiways, as well as installation of floodlights.

The DOTC said a bidding firm should be owned by Filipinos and must have completed at least one contract worth 50 percent of the approved budget.

The agency said it would conduct an open competitive bidding using non-discretionary pass/fail criteria specified in the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

KIA is one of two airports serving Boracay. Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. operates the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in Caticlan.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya announced last May that the government earmarked P6 billion for the Kalibo airport development project.    

The project involves runway extension and expansion, additional apron space, roads, and construction of a new passenger terminal building.

Under the plan, the proposed new terminal building will be relocated for a better access to the Kalibo circumferential road while additional parking bays will accommodate more aircraft.

The Boracay Tourism Field Office projected a 10 percent increase in tourist arrivals in Boracay this year. It recorded 1.363 million tourists last year.

In the first five months of the year, the number of tourists in Boracay hit 735,053 or 9.6 percent higher compared to 670,479 registered in the same period last year.