DOTr eyes Maasin Airport runway expansion next year

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, July 2  -- Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade announced Monday the expansion of the Maasin City Airport runway from 1.3 kilometers to 1.8 kilometers.

During the inauguration of the airport’s new terminal building here, Tugade said expanding the runway will allow bigger planes to use the airport.

The transport chief, however, declined to disclose the estimated budget of the project since the proposal still has to go through the planning stage.

Currently, the airport’s runway can only accommodate light aircrafts of Air Juan and a Cebu-based flying school for practicing short field take-offs and landings.

“Funding will be provided this year so that runway extension will be implemented in 2019,” Tugade said during the program, which was witnessed by key local government officials here.

Located in Panan-awan village, the Maasin Airport development project also involves the upcoming construction of a vehicular parking area, power house, access road, and installation of furniture and air conditioning units. These projects were bid-out on June 14, 2018.

The PHP25-million passenger terminal building added 100 seats to the 50-seater departure area.

The new terminal building, which was completed last year, aims to upgrade the facility from a community airport to a standard principal class 2 airport to meet increasing transport demands.

“In the future, we will upgrade the design of this terminal from being high-ceiling to air-conditioned,” Tugade added.

Tugade, together with DOTr Usec. for Aviation and Airports Manuel Antonio Tamayo, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, Leyte Vice Governor Christopherson Yap, Southern Leyte Congressman Roger Mercado, and Maasin City Mayor National Mercado led the inauguration of the airport’s new terminal building.

Maasin Airport is one of the community airports under the CAAP National Airport System, and is the only airport serving Southern Leyte province.

In 2013, Maasin Airport served as a backup entry point for relief goods and medicine deliveries during the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda -- showing its capability and potential to serve as an alternate airport to Tacloban City’s Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.

In 2017, the airport terminal served 1,595 passengers bound for Cebu and Tagbilaran, Bohol through Air Juan’s four-time weekly flight.

A budding city in southern Philippines, Maasin’s attractions include the eco-treat of Cagnituan, which is a huge subterranean cave, cool waterfall, and a refreshing lagoon, and an 18th century church which is a pilgrimage site. (RTA/PNA)