• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A proposed P480-million budget for the improvement and expansion of the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Negros Occidental has been included in the proposed 2027 national budget, House Speaker Faustino Dy III said.
In a press briefing on Oct. 2, Dy said the airport project, being pushed by Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez, has gained the support of a majority of House members.
Benitez announced during the LegisHear 2026 in Victorias City that the funding has been included in the proposed 2027 national budget.
He thanked Dy and other lawmakers for supporting the upgrading and expansion of the Bacolod-Silay Airport, which is intended to accommodate the province’s growing air passenger traffic.
Dy said he was told by Benitez that an international flight is expected to operate from Bacolod-Silay Airport starting next year, underscoring the need to improve the airport’s facilities and capacity.
A total of 28 lawmakers joined the LegisHear held in Victorias City, where national and local officials discussed development concerns and infrastructure priorities in Negros Occidental.
The proposed national budget allocation comes as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) moves forward with a major expansion and improvement of the airport’s passenger terminal building.
CAAP has awarded the project to AIMM Builder and Construction Supply for P418.276 million, with the project aimed at increasing the terminal’s pre-departure seating capacity from about 500 to 1,480 passengers.
The expansion is expected to provide additional space and improve the airport’s ability to handle the increasing number of passengers traveling through Negros Occidental. | GPB
