Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday pushed for additional funding to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to fast-track airport upgrades in major tourist destinations, including Camiguin, Siargao, El Nido, and Coron.
Zubiri noted that while Camiguin has an initial allocation, construction could stall without more funds. He also stressed the need to expand Siargao’s runway to accommodate larger aircraft and direct flights.
“Kung makahanap tayo ng budget, magbigay din tayo ng dagdag doon sa Camiguin at dagdagan din natin ‘yung sa airport ng Siargao,” he said, emphasizing that island airports must be capable of handling A320s to sustain tourism growth.
He called for a whole-of-government approach to tourism planning, urging the DOTr to coordinate closely with the Department of Tourism (DOT) instead of waiting for problems to arise.
“It should be an all-government approach. Do not wait for the DOT to react. We just have to think out of the box and we have to think progressively,” he said.
Zubiri added that investing in airports would bring direct economic benefits, estimating that an additional one million tourists spending USD1,000 each could generate USD1 billion for the economy.
“That is not difficult if the country provides seamless gateways comparable to Cambodia, Thailand, or Vietnam,” he said.