ILOILO City – The P190-million budget for the redevelopment of the Iloilo Airport under the 2024 Aviation Transport Infrastructure Program falls short of covering the extensive repairs needed, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“The budget is inadequate. We need to address numerous issues, including repairing the air-conditioning system, all escalators, the runway, toilets, repainting the entire structure, and maintaining the landscaping,” he told Panay News.
Additionally, preventative maintenance for escalators, elevators, and the air-conditioning system, as well as the repair and maintenance of all x-ray machines, are necessary, Treñas added.
The mayor has been an advocate for managing the airport through a public-private partnership (PPP). He expressed his support for privatizing the airport, emphasizing the benefits it would bring to the residents who use it.
Iloilo province’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. also supports this privatization, citing the pressing need for the airport’s expansion. He highlighted the overcrowding in the passenger terminal and departure area, a situation that will worsen once flight operations return to pre-pandemic levels.
Transportation secretary Jaime Bautista, during his Iloilo visit in December 2023 for the Philippine Economic Briefing, acknowledged the need for the airport’s expansion. He expressed hope that the privatization proposal, initiated in the previous administration, will come to fruition.
Bautista emphasized the potential benefits of the expansion, such as accommodating up to 10 million passengers annually, boosting Iloilo’s economy, and attracting more tourists.
The PPP Center has reported two unsolicited proposals (USP) for the airport’s expansion: Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) with a P9.95-billion offer, and Prime Asset Venture, Inc. with a P6.89-billion bid. The expansion plans include upgrading the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), constructing an apron adjacent to the PTB, enhancing passenger services, and modernizing related facilities.
Art Parreño, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) – Iloilo Airport terminal supervisor, noted the airport’s increasing passenger traffic. In September, the airport recorded 2,550 passenger arrivals and a peak of 2,876 departures in a single day. These figures are close to those seen before the pandemic and in August 2024.
Currently, the airport serves flights to and from various locations, including Metro Manila, Cebu, Palawan, Clark Pampanga, and Davao.
Despite reaching out for comments on the P190 million budget, CAAP-Iloilo manager Manuela Luisa Palma refrained from commenting, citing ongoing discussions with the Central Office.
Cong. Luis Campos Jr. of Makati City revealed that 22 airports, including Iloilo, will receive funding under the 2024 Aviation Transport Infrastructure Program. A total of P7.5 billion has been earmarked for the modernization and expansion of the country’s aviation hubs, anticipating the full recovery of global air traffic by 2025. The allocations per airport are detailed in the 2024 General Appropriations Law, with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) receiving the largest portion for a new Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance – Air Traffic Management (CNS-ATM) System.
Other airports receiving significant budgets include Kalibo International Airport (P581 million), Laoag International Airport (P500 million), and several others with varying amounts./PN
