Promotion of the country’s surfing capital is being boosted after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced development projects to improve and expand Siargao Airport.

The projects include improvements on the passenger terminal building, powerhouse, perimeter fence, parking area, administration building, two-bay fire station building, and expansion of the airport’s apron.

In addition, the project will cover the rehabilitation and improvement of the airport’s departure area, check-in and arrival area, and arrival façade.

“Coinciding with the groundbreaking of the development projects was the blessing of the rehabilitated projects of the Siargao Airport after suffering damages from super typhoon ‘Odette’ in December 2021,” DOTr’s Facebook post on Thursday read.

The project was inaugurated in a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.

In a speech, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said plans for the rebuilding of the airport were completed four months after the onslaught of typhoon Odette.

“Noong December, giba-giba ito at sabi n’yo, ‘Mr. Secretary, paano na ito?’ Sabi ko, bigyan n’yo ako ng kaunting oras paplanuhin natin ‘yung pagsasaayos (In December, this was in ruins and you asked, Secretary, what are we going to do? I said, give me some time and we’ll plan on how to fix this),” Tugade said.

Siargao Governor Francisco Tinio Matugas welcomed the development and noted that more tourists will come once the project is completed.

“Our visitors and guests started coming here in Siargao and I hope with this new passenger terminal building, we will be able to accommodate more flights in the future. So, this is what we need at this time of our recovery program. We are very proud of our airport here on the island!,” Matugas said.

Once completed the Siargao Airport is seen to accommodate more passengers, provide wider connectivity and mobility, and boost “progress in the economy, tourism, and commerce” in Surigao del Norte. (PNA)