The House of Representatives is ready to provide the Department of Transportation with additional funds to quickly operationalize the Sangley reliever airport in Cavite as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said on Saturday.
“Whatever the DOTr needs in terms of new appropriations, we are all set to authorize and make available,” Campos said. “We really need multiple aviation gateways around Metro Manila, considering the average six percent annual growth in domestic air passengers alone.”
Many fast-growing metropolitan areas around the world depend on several airports, not just on one, Campos said.
“The United States of New York, for instance, has 16 primary airports, plus dozens of secondary, reliever and general aviation airports,” he said.
New York’s 20 million population is smaller than the combined 26 million population of Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal, the Makati lawmaker said.
Malacañang’s decision to put the Sangley airport into action augurs well for the country’s aviation sector and the broader economy, he stressed.
“The seamless air transfer of passengers and shipments are vital for a rapidly growing economy,” he noted.
According to Campos, the tourism industry relies heavily on aviation.
“Aviation in itself is huge industry that not only employs a large number of Filipinos, but also has great potential to drive future jobs growth, if given an extra stimulus besides low oil prices,” he said.
He said he feared that the buildup of aircraft and passenger traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is bound to worsen flight delays in the months ahead.
“The only way to fix the congestion is through new reliever gateways in Cavite and Bulacan, on top of Clark International Airport in Pampanga,” he said.
Just recently, five airline operators have signed a commitment of support for the Sangley project.
Among the signatories were Cebu Pacific Air president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei, AirAsia president and CEO Dexter Comendador, Philippine Airlines officer-in-charge Vivienne Tan, PAL Express president Bonifacio Sam, and CebGo vice president for Corporate Affairs Paterno Mantaring Jr.
Also present during the event were Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Jim Sydiongco and Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla.
The commitment aims to address the growing demands for air travel in the Philippines, particularly at the NAIA.