The Marcos administration is seeking an additional PHP300 million under the proposed 2027 national budget to meet the target completion of the Bukidnon Airport in Don Carlos town next year, the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) said on Saturday.
The statement came after Executive Secretary Ralph Recto inspected the ongoing construction of the airport in Barangay Maraymaray on Friday.
During the site inspection, Recto emphasized President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to complete the long-awaited project and put it into operation by 2027.
“President Marcos wants the Bukidnon Airport completed by 2027 so it can begin creating jobs, attracting investments and bringing more tourists to the province,” Recto said.
“This airport will bring not only Bukidnon, but the whole Mindanao, closer to the rest of the Philippines and the rest of the country closer to the heart of Mindanao. It will allow people, products, and opportunities to move faster.”
The proposed allocation would bring the Marcos administration’s total funding for the airport to PHP1.66 billion, from PHP1.36 billion previously allocated since 2022.
The airport has received PHP3.17 billion in total government funding.
Under the Marcos administration, PHP1 billion was allocated for Phase IV of the airport’s development in 2022, followed by PHP310 million in 2024 and PHP50 million in 2025.
Recto said the airport, which can accommodate bigger aircraft, could help attract more flights and airlines and potentially make air travel more affordable.
He said the airport would also strengthen Bukidnon’s role as a major agricultural producer by facilitating the movement of products, such as pineapples, bananas, corn, coffee, sugar, and livestock.
“Airports do more than connect destinations,” Recto said. “They connect businesses to customers and communities to jobs, investments, and essential services.”
The new airport is designed to accommodate jet aircraft and provide Bukidnon with direct air connectivity to major economic and tourism centers across the country.
Its facilities include a 2,100-meter-long and 45-meter-wide runway, two stub taxiways, and a 43,050-square-meter apron capable of accommodating six aircraft.
The project also includes a 3,600-square-meter passenger terminal building that could serve up to 425 passengers, a 2,500-meter runway strip, airport ancillary structures and air navigation facilities.
The runway is designed to accommodate larger commercial aircraft, such as the Airbus A320, commonly used on domestic routes.
“If we can accommodate bigger aircraft and attract more flights and airlines, that can help bring fares down and make air travel more affordable for ordinary Filipinos,” Recto said.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri joined Recto during the inspection. (PNA)
