Bicol International Airport is Igned, Sealed and Delivered

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Hurdling through all kinds of roadblocks along the way, the Bicol International Airport (BIA) will now start its first commercial operations on Friday, 08 October 2021, after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Transportation Secretary Art Tugade inaugurated the international airport on the 7th of October 2021.

“Mr. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Sir, here is the Bicol International Airport, delivering to you for the use of the Bicolanos at ng buong sambayanan: SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED, Mr. President,” Secretary Tugade said, addressing President Duterte during the airport’s inauguration ceremonies.

Faced with a challenging task and having experienced unforseen mishaps and delays, Secretary Tugade said the BIA has “planted a seed for international connectivity and convenience. Not only national and domestic but international as well.”

Tugade said that he made it his personal commitment and crusade to finish the BIA despite criticisms and doubts after it broke ground last 8 December 2016.

“’Yung alinlangan at duda na ‘yan ay sinamahan ng unos at bagyo na kung saan naantala yung proyekto. Hindi nakuntento ‘yung unos at bagyo, dumating ang pandemya at naantala na naman ang proyekto. Hindi ‘ho natigil dyan, dalawang beses akong sinunugan dito sa project na ito,” Tugade explained.

President Duterte said the BIA is yet another milestone in the Build, Build, Build Program that fulfilled the administration’s mission of improving the lives of Filipinos by providing quality infrastructure projects that allowed greater connectivity and mobility, created more jobs, and boosted economic activities in other regions.

“This airport, dubbed as the ‘Most Scenic Gateway’ in the country, promises to provide unforgettable travel experience, not only of visitors but many Bicolanos,” President Duterte said.

“I am confident that once fully operational, this airport will be able to serve the needs of those which is expected—two million passengers annually and provide efficiency, reliability and safety standards to ensure the modern airport,” he added.

Tugade said the BIA is now night-rated and will start night operations in November.

With the iconic Mayon Volcano as its backdrop, the country’s “Most Scenic Gateway” will offer domestic and international passengers contactless properties that are innovative solutions during the pandemic, making airport travel effortless, safe, and convenient.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the BIA has tapped the services of the developer of the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga, which will equip the BIA with the same high-technology features of the CRK, including contactless baggage handling and a food ordering system in the near future.

Once operational, the BIA can accommodate a total of two (2) million passengers annually and is expected to boost air traffic in the Bicol Region.

Tugade stressed that the BIA will transform Bicol Region into an economic powerhouse and provide economic, tourism and employment benefits to its neighboring provinces once it starts operations.

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