• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The proposed privatization of the operations of Bacolod-Silay Airport in Negros Occidental has received support from Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
“I welcome the announcement of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) regarding its plan to privatize the operations and maintenance of regional airports, including the Bacolod-Silay Airport, through a public-private partnership by 2028,” Lacson said.
The DOTr is eyeing the privatization operations of 10 regional airports in the country three years from now to improve connectivity across the archipelago.
“For a rapidly growing province like Negros Occidental, a modern, efficient, and world-class airport is essential to the province’s economic development, tourism growth, and overall connectivity,” Lacson said.
He stressed that the private partner taking on the operations and development of the Bacolod-Silay Airport should have proven capacity, resources, and vision to implement the necessary improvements.
The governor said the success of the project “depends greatly on choosing the right partner – one that is committed to public service, long-term sustainability, and development”.
“We look forward to working closely with the DOTr and all stakeholders to ensure that this transition, if it proceeds, will serve the best interests of our province and our people,” he added.
Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon said earlier that the government is considering bundling multiple airports into a single contract to make the project financially viable.
“Government should really focus on making sure that a lot of areas have at least an airstrip, have an airfield, for logistics, for emergencies, for disaster response,” Dizon added.
Under its current status, the Bacolod-Silay Airport has received a P200-million allocation for the renovation of the terminal from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and a similar amount from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority for runway improvements. | GB
