Negros Occidental airports

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri recently pledged to support improvements and construction to various airports in Negros Occidental.

In a press conference held over the weekend, Zubiri, a native of Kabankalan City, said he will be providing P10 million in funds to the Kabankalan City government for the construction of a terminal building for the city’s airport.

The amount is in addition to the P90 million set aside by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier this year, P30 million from the provincial government, and P50 million from the city government of Kabankalan.

Zubiri also said the Bacolod-Silay Airport needs to be expanded, noting it has become crowded.

“I want to give back to my bailiwick areas,” Zubiri said. “I do not want to be known as a senator that did not look back to where he came from.”

Despite being removed from the public private partnership (PPP) last year, Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya stated his approval of the P20 billion budget intended to further develop Bacolod-Silay Airport, adding it will address concerns of local travelers.

Recently, Aboitiz InfraCapital also submitted an unsolicited proposal to improve and modernize the Bacolod-Silay Airport for P148 billion over a 35-year concession period./DGB, WDJ