THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) allocated a total of P1.07 billion to renovate the Davao International Airport (DIA).
Maria Lourdes Lim, Vice-Chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC), said during the One Davao Virtual Presser on December 28, 2022, that the renovation of the DIA will be implemented in 2024.
She added that the plan also includes the rehabilitation and expansion of the passenger terminal building.
She said DOTr has allocated P75 million for the feasibility and master plan study for the expansion of the DIA.
"But we hope this can be implemented earlier," Lim said.
Meanwhile, the unsolicited proposal for the operation, expansion, capacity, augmentation as well as the operation and maintenance of the DIA, which was presented by Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (CLIHC) under the Udenna Corporation, was remanded.
"It was requested to submit a revised proposal following the framework contained in the revised 2022 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the DOTr law recently," she said.
As various tourism and business players have been campaigning for the airport's expansion, which is now "congested" due to the city's increasing tourist arrivals, the unsolicited proposal of the CLIHC will increase the airport's capacity to 15.5 million people, with the passenger terminal building doubling in size to 64,800 square meters from the current 24,780 square meters.
It was also said the air transport movement (ATM) would increase from nine to 35 per hour.
Meanwhile, the proposed alternative sites for airports in Davao Region lobbied by the RDC in 2015 are still pending and have yet to have a feasibility study on it.
The alternative sites identified were Callawa in Davao City, Madaum in Tagum City, Samal Island, Sta. Maria in Davao Occidental, and Panabo City. KSD
