DAVAO ORIENTAL – Negotiations for the development and expansion of the Mati City Airport continues as the local government officials and concerned agencies are relentlessly pushing for the project to be realized the soonest time possible.

During a consultation-planning with key personalities from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Monday, October 8, held at the Davao Oriental State University Board Room, officials from the provincial and city government, including the landowners and other stakeholders aired out their concerns involving the much-anticipated development of Mati City’s lone airport.

Monday’s meeting arrived with the decision to push through the development of a class 3C operation airport designed to accommodate turbo propeller aircrafts. However, anticipating future development and expansion, the land and runway development will be in accordance with a class 4C operation which is set to accommodate airbus.

The airport development involves improvement of some facilities which include the terminal building, with arrival and departure areas, to be complemented by basic facilities like a fire station and vehicular parking area, said DOTr Project Management Staff Director Eduardo Manalili.

However, the said development involves the requirement of additional 27-hectare land in addition to the existing 34 hectares which already consists of the runway and the terminal.

With this additional land requirement, negotiations to secure the nod of the landowners now becomes a high priority. The property is owned by two families – the Rabat and the Rocamora, who have earlier expressed their support to the said development that will help spur economic development in the City of Mati and the province of Davao Oriental.

However, now being time-pressed, local government officials say that all parties involved must come up with a concrete solution and settlement amidst concerns over the possible reversion of the P200 million allotted budget which must be utilized by December 2019. “We should not let this pass,” said Second District Representative Joel Mayo Almario.

The P200 million budget for the airport expansion was approved through General Appropriations Act of 2019. In accordance to the law, unutilized allotment will be returned to the national treasury.

Prior the said allocation, a budget of P10 million was also approved through General Appropriations Act of 2018 intended for the fencing of the property.

“The importance of the airport cannot be overemphasized because we are addressing the tourism concerns and we feel that if we leave Mati as it is, it will be difficult to make Mati fully develop because of the province’s geographical location,” said Rep. Almario, emphasizing that settlement must be reached since it’s a race against time.

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, who is the first to push for the reopening of the Mati City airport, said that the provincial government hopes to make the airport operational by next year. “This is our long-time dream. This development is our way to improve the city and the province, especially in terms of tourism. We have a lot of destinations to offer in terms of tourism which can be maximized if we could offer our tourists an alternative and inviting means to reach us,” said Governor Dayanghirang.

Serious on boosting the province’s tourism potentials, the Provincial Government’s is sending representatives to Japan next week to submit Davao Oriental’s application to be declared among “The Most Beautiful Bays in the World”. Anticipated to open up a whole new opportunity for the province should its application be approved, Governor Dayanghirang said that the need to develop a fully operational airport becomes a high priority.

Meanwhile, Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat hopes to settle the issues and come up with concrete agreements as soon as possible. “Mati is ripe for tourism. The only way to go is through tourism and opening this airport will bring this place in the map,” she said.

The Mati Airport also known as Imelda R. Marcos Airport located in Barangay Dahican was started 40 years ago during the time of the late Governor Francisco “Paking” Rabat. By Karen Lou Deloso