An opposition lawmaker on Saturday said a total of P10.1 billion in fresh funding has been set aside to modernize the infrastructures of the country’s airports.
Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said the Clark International Airport has the biggest slice of the capital outlay under the Aviation Infrastructure Program in the proposed P3.767-trillion General Appropriations Act for 2018.
“Clark is getting P2.74 billion to enable it to cope with more flights, especially at night,” said Campos, a deputy minority leader, said.
The Department of Transportation has been building up the airport at the former US Air Force base, located 80 kilometers northwest of Manila, to lure a greater number of international as well as domestic flights away from the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Whenever the main 3,737-meter long runway at the Naia is temporarily shut for emergency repairs, incoming flights also tend to get diverted to Clark.
“The target is to have Clark’s two 3,200-meter long runways operating at night, and eventually extend both runways, possibly to 5,000 meters, to accommodate bigger aircraft,” Campos said.
At present, only the primary airstrip at Clark is capable of day-and-night operations. The secondary airstrip still lacks the navigational aids and lighting facilities to service evening flights.
From January to July this year, Clark, which is located in the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat in the province of Pampanga, handled a daily average of 20 international flights (3,078 passengers) plus 12 domestic flights (1,058 passengers), according to the state-run Clark International Airport Corp.
Besides Clark, Campos said the other airports set to receive new infrastructure development funds are:
• Kalibo Airport, P920.00 million; Bicol International Airport, P899.68 million; Tacloban Airport, P716.12 million; Bukidnon Airport, P425.00 million; Bohol (Panglao) International Airport, P386.00 million; Laoag International Airport, P368.50 million; Cauayan Airport, P306.40 million; Dumaguete Airport, P300.00 million; Calbayog Airport, P245.00 million; Zamboanga Airport, P221.00 million; San Jose Airport (Camarines Sur), P200.00 million; Surigao Airport, P200.00 million; Ozamiz Airport, P192.20 million; Butuan Airport, P184.00 million; Dipolog Airport, P182.00 million; Roxas Airport, P169.00 million; Cotabato Airport, P161.00 million; Basco Airport, P145.00 million; Ormoc Airport, P128.00 million; Maasin Airport, P122.00 million; Antique Airport, P110.00 million; Sanga-Sanga Airport, P100.00 million; Pagadian Airport, P84.20 million; Tuguegarao Airport, P61.80 million; San Vicente Airport, P50 million; and Virac Airport, P50 million.
Campos said 13 other smaller airports across the country would also get a combined P262.61 million, or an average of P20.20 million each, for infrastructure upgrades.
