ANTIQUE – The proposed expansion of the Evelio Javier Airport, or Antique Airport, in Barangay Funda-Dalipe, San Jose de Buenavista town will boost local tourism and the province’s economy, said Gov. Rhodora Cadiao.
When completed, inbound and outbound travelers need not anymore travel far to Iloilo province to use the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan town, she added.
“Nagagalak talaga at nagpapasalamat para magkaroon ng expansion ang Antique Airport,” Cadiao told Panay News.
Furthermore, local products can easily be transported to Metro Manila, providing more business opportunities to Antiqueño entrepreneurs, she added.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) allotted P500 million in the 2023 national budget for the airport’s upgrade.
Antique Airport is one of three airports in the country under DOTr’s Aviation Infrastructure Program, which has a total budget of P2.5 billion, according to House Committee on Appropriations vice chair Cong. Luis Campos Jr. of Makati City.
Cadiao served as Regional Development Council (RDC) chair of Western Visayas from 2019 to 2022.
Currently, the Antique Airport caters to three flights per week — on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — accommodating 60 passengers each and operated solely by the Philippine Airlines, according to the governor./PN
