New Caticlan Airport Terminal Breaks Ground, Boosting Tourism And Economic Prospects For Western Visayas

Monday, July 14, 2025

A momentous arena for Philippine aviation and section economies connected July 14, 2025 arsenic President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led nan groundbreaking of nan caller rider terminal building (PTB) of nan Godofredo P. Ramos Airport successful Caticlan, nan main gateway to Boracay Island. Seeing nan commencement of building is an breathtaking improvement which will importantly support nan tourism capability, location linkages and business opportunities successful Western Visayas.

State of nan Art Infrastructure to Boost Tourism

The caller terminal will screen a full area of astir 36,470m², which is astir 3 times larger than nan existent facilities. The airdrome is projected to costs astir ₱2.5 billion—capacity would beryllium astir 7 cardinal passengers per year, nan existent capacity is exceeded. Upon completion successful December 2026, it will connection state-of-the-art accommodation specified arsenic 8 modern pitchy bridges, a modern baggage handling system, freely rider lounges, much unit spaces and faster check-in and migration services.

The important upgrade to nan infrastructure is successful statement pinch nan Philippines government’s wide attraction connected nan modernisation and enhancement of accommodation astatine airports and proscription hubs passim nan state arsenic per portion of nan “Build Better More” initiative. It is being implemented arsenic a public-private business (PPP) betwixt nan Department of Transportation (DOTr) and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) done nan latter’s subsidiary Trans Aire Development Holdings Corp., pinch building operations managed by Megawide Construction Corp.

Regional-Link Network Development

The now-terminal building is designed to heighten accessibility to Boracay, 1 of nan country’s premier destinations for world tourists, attracted by its white-sand beaches and bustling tourism economy. At nan moment, it Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific run aggregate flights a time from Manila, pinch a astir 1 hr flying time. Caticlan Airport, visitors transportation by onshore and vessel for a speedy travel (usually 30 minutes aliases less) to nan island’s main highlights.

The caller infrastructure is designed to amended those connections and nan number of nonstop flights from Manila arsenic good arsenic from awesome home hubs, including Cebu and Davao, and from elsewhere successful nan state and perchance from further afield. This is accordant pinch nan broader argumentation of President Marcos, which is to move nan world gateways nearer decentralizing nan gateways and to bring down nan dense dependence successful nan congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport successful Metro Manila. This caller terminal provides nan Philippines’ location aviation web pinch a assortment of destinations which is much businesslike successful deployment and shares nan tourism wealthiness much evenly passim nan country.

Economic Opportunities and Employment Generation

The betterment successful Caticlan Airport promises to bring successful different economical benefits speech from convenience to passengers. The task is simply a game-changer for nan section authorities which is being revitalised,” expressed Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores. More visitors should boost request successful galore sectors, including accommodation, restaurants, carrier suppliers, retailers and smaller section circuit companies.

Hundreds of section workers will beryllium employed for nan building wherever Megawide Construction Corp. will instantly supply jobs and still thatch hundreds much of Aklan and nan surrounding islands’ manpower for their accomplishment requirements. When fresh for cognition location will beryllium further full-time jobs disposable specified arsenic crushed cognition staff, security, retail/service operators and administrative work, giving section families and communities reliant connected tourism-related incomes nan semipermanent economical stableness it needs.

Dedication to Sustainability

In ray of Boracay’s vulnerable situation and erstwhile struggles pinch overtourism, officials, including those from nan Civil Aviation Authority of nan Philippines (CAAP), are besides ensuring nan terminal is planned and managed much responsibly. The CAAP will incorporated modern environmentally delicate requirements and greenish building processes, businesslike discarded guidance methods and beardown information practices Into nan usage of US facilities.

Future possibilities to adhd to nan terminal would beryllium incorporating renewable power systems specified arsenic star panels, and effective h2o reclaim systems. These greenish moves are a motion that nan governance is committed to pursuing balanced maturation successful tourism, ecotourism comparative to their earthy assets assets connected nan land complete nan agelong term.

Future Outlook

The building of a caller terminal is much than conscionable an infrastructure undertaking, it signifies a alteration of guidance toward strategical tourism guidance and location economical readying successful nan Philippines. By upholding a argumentation of diversification of improvement from nan metropolis, nan diversion of postulation from Manila’s congested airdrome infrastructure to nonstop world and location connections, and nan realisation of inclusive economical maturation that enriches nan lives of provincial communities.

Cutting nan ribbon that marked nan commencement of construction, and speaking during nan groundbreaking ceremonial itself, President Marcos emphasized this imagination of a prosperous Philippines: “Development of location airports, specified arsenic that successful Caticlan, will thief disperse economical benefits and opportunities successful recreation to each parts of nan Philippines”. This method guarantees that maturation will beryllium much sustainable and balanced, and value of life will beryllium amended for nan group who unrecorded here, while making nan tourer acquisition of world guests that overmuch easier and enjoyable.

In summary, pinch nan commencement of nan improvement of nan caller terminal building astatine Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, tourism and recreation acquisition successful Western Visayas would beryllium redefined. It commits to supply sustainable & agelong word economical and employment opportunities, beforehand section businesses and guarantee visitant restitution successful a sustainable and ecologically friends environment, accordant pinch a argumentation of modern infrastructure finance and eco-friendly development.