The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is eyeing to privatize 10 regional airports before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Im quite confident that we can PPP 10 more airports by 2028 and this is a commitment I was bold enough to make to the President,” Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said.
Dizon said that the airports slated for privatization by 2028 are Iloilo, Davao, Siargao, Laoag, Busuanga, Bicol, Tacloban, Bacolod-Silay, General Santos, and Puerto Princesa.
Some airports, he said , would be bundled together to make them more viable and appealing to the private sector.
Dizon said that the Marcos administration has privatized more airports than any other administration in the past.
“To date, it has already privatized three. The biggest one, obviously, is NAIA, which is huge. With San Miguel Corporation running it, it shows that privatization really works, because the services are better. You have shorter lines, you have more, there is less congestion in the driveways, and it’s just a better airport experience.,” he said.
The SMC SAP Company Consortium—comprising San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp.—secured the P171 billion contract to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain NAIA. Their winning bid offered the government an 82.16 percent revenue share, the highest proposed.
Dizon also noted the government has already turned over operations of Laguindingan International Airport to Aboitiz InfraCapital, with Panglao International Airport set for a similar turnover by June.
AIC, the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines signed in October 2024 a P12.75-billion concession agreement for AIC to undertake the development and modernization of Laguindingan International Airport over a 30-year period.
Other core facilities include the air traffic control building, car parks, aircraft rescue and firefighting building, administration building, maintenance building, and other utilities infrastructure such as the airport’s power supply system, water supply network, sewerage network and storm water drain network.
Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) is investing P4.53 billion in the Bohol-Panglao International Airport to expand its passenger terminal, install modern aviation systems, and enhance airside and landside facilities.
Within one to two years of takeover, AIC plans to increase BPIA’s annual passenger capacity from 2 million to 2.5 million, with further expansions targeting 3.9 million passengers per year by 2030.
