A new and modernized Dumaguete Airport is expected to address regional connectivity in Western Visayas and air traffic in the province, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The Department of Finance and Export-Import Bank of Korea signed on Wednesday an agreement that will fund the new Dumaguete Airport in Bacong, Negros Oriental.
The project has a total cost of P17.06 billion, about P13.15 billion of which is supported by KEXIM. It involves the construction of a new airport facility that complies with domestic and international standards for operational safety and efficiency.
“Today we are able to identify the needed funding source for the transfer and construction of a bigger Dumaguete Airport to a new location,” DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said during the signing ceremony.
“This new and expanded airport will address the increasing number of air traffic to and from Dumaguete,” Bautista added.
With KEXIM’s loan assistance, the new Dumaguete Airport will see a brand-new runway, taxiway, passenger and cargo terminal buildings, control tower and various aeronautical facilities.
The new regional airport will also increase the passenger capacity of the old airport from 800,000 to 2 million passengers annually.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the new Dumaguete Airport will enhance regional connectivity and support air travel in Western Visayas.
“On a broader scale, this new airport will advance our capacity to welcome a surge of tourists in the post-pandemic era,” Recto said.
