The redevelopment of the Mati City Airport is expected to generate investment and employment among children of the farmers and the fisherfolk, according to an official.
After the provincial government unit of Davao Oriental, together with the local government unit of Mati City, conducted the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mati City Airport last week, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) led the foundation-laying ceremony on Monday.
Former Davao Oriental Second District Rep. Joel Mayo Almario told media on Monday that their efforts for this airport will bring in investors and unlimited possibilities so that the children of the farmers, fisherfolk, and pedicab drivers will be somehow already ensured employment because of the influx of more investments that will be brought about by the airport.
“I am thinking of the farmers and the fisherfolk. I’m thinking of the pedicaber. Most likely these people will not have the chance to be passengers in the planes that will come in but I’m thinking of them because most likely their children will have employment in what we are doing now because as often said this airport will bring in investors,” Almario said in his message following the ceremony.
The 58-hectare airport is poised to become the alternate airport of Davao International Airport (DIA) and is expected to become operational for smaller aircraft next year.
Mati Airport has remained non-operational for commercial flights for nearly 50 years since its construction in 1976.
DoTr Aviation and Airports Sector Head Engineer Eduardo J. Mangalili said the redevelopment of the Mati Airport was the result of extensive planning and conduct of feasibility studies among various agencies.
Mangalili also provided a detailed overview of the project and according to him, the airport is 1,500 in length by 36 meters and is capable of a turbo propeller aircraft.
He added that the existing terminal building is now at a dilapidated stage which needs to be rehabilitated.
Mangalili emphasized that through the P300 million funding request of Davao Oriental Second District Representative Cheeno Miguel Almario, DoTr has only granted P100 million, which will be used for the construction and rehabilitation of the terminal building.
Meanwhile, Rep. Almario announced that he has secured an additional P700 million in funding through collaborative efforts with his wife PBA Partylist Rep. Migs Nograles-Almario, Davao Oriental First District Rep. Nelson Dayanghirang, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, and Sen. JV Ejercito.
He said the P700 million allocation was included in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) wherein the P400 million was for facility improvements and the P300 million for runway asphalt covering.
Rep. Almario expressed gratitude to his wife, Dayanghirang, Ejercito, and Marcos.
“They were instrumental in making this dream of every resident of Mati and Davao Oriental come true,” he said.
With plans to accommodate an Airbus A330 in the future, the redevelopment of the nearly five-decade-old airport is expected to transform Mati into a key gateway for tourism, trade, and investment.
Based on the initial plans, the airport will first be operational for smaller aircraft, with future expansion to accommodate larger propeller-driven planes and, eventually, an Airbus A330.
The airport was established in 1976 carrying the name Imelda Romualdez Marcos Airport but never operated commercially due to a lack of demand.
Mati City, the capital of Davao Oriental, is located about 182 kilometers west of Davao City, where the Francisco Bangoy International Airport is located. A land trip from Davao City to Mati takes an average of 2.5 to 3 hours.
Davao Oriental’s popular tourist destinations include the Dahican Beach in Mati, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mt. Hamiguitan, and Aliwagwag Falls in Cateel, among others
