Construction of Bukidnon airport in Don Carlos to start 2018

Jan 08, 2018 by Bukidnon News in Announcements

It’s been a long time coming but we think Bukidnon is finally ready to have a fully functioning airport! Bukidnon Online has been sharing updates about the proposed airport in Don Carlos, Bukidnon including the fact that Senator Chiz Escudero also said before that the national government will set aside a budget for it. Last July 2017, we shared that the Department of Transportation’s 2017 Annual Procurement Plan had an initial Php 200 Million budget allocation for the development of the Bukidnon Airport. That initial amount will accordingly be used for earthwork activities such as grubbing, excavation, clearing and embankment. Read our previous post HERE.

Anyway, this 2018, the construction of the Bukidnon airport will finally begin. In fact, the land where the airport is supposed to be put up is currently being cleared and prepared.

And here’s additional news — the budget for the Don Carlos Bukidnon airport has been increased to Php 425 Million. Interestingly, a budget of Php 650 Million has also been allegedly allocated for the construction and improvement of all the roads leading towards the airport. No public records yet as to which bidders/suppliers/construction companies have won the projects related to the airport.

According to the DOTr, the Don Carlos Bukidnon airport will serve as Class 2 airport first. This means that it will be a “feeder airport” – one that will serve propeller aircraft with a capacity of at least 19 seats. The initial routes for the propeller aircraft will include Manila and Cebu. As soon as there’s sustainable demand, it will be upgraded to Class 1 which can allow the airport to accommodate larger aircraft and more routes.

This airport comes after about 20 years, following the closure of the Malaybalay airport. The Bukidnon airport, which will be constructed in the Municipality of Don Carlos, specifically at Maray-Maray, is seen to serve not only the entire Bukidnon province but also nearby areas like North Cotabato, Agusan del Norte and Lanao del Sur.