ILOILO CITY – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao welcomed Monday, Aug. 29, the proposed modernization of the Antique Airport under the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Aviation Infrastructure Program in 2023.
“This is a good development. This will spur our tourism and economy as well as entice investors,” Cadiao said.
For Cadiao, the inclusion of the airport also known as Evelio B. Javier Airport under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is timely for the continuation of the already planned expansion of the facility in the capital town of San Jose de Buenavista.
The Antique Airport only resumed commercial operations last December 2018. Prior to reopening, many Antiqueños had to fly in and out via the airports of neighboring Aklan or Iloilo.
Cadiao, formerly chairperson of the Western Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC), said that initial expansion project started prior to 2018 and was through the efforts of then Antique Rep. now Sen. Loren Legarda.
However, the funding was utilized as the government had to spend a lot to pay for private landowners as well as to relocate the residents living near the airport vicinity.
Currently, the airport only caters to flights operated by Philippine Airlines (PAL) with the Manila-San Jose and vice versa route.
According to Cadiao, PAL is utilizing the smaller Bombardier airplanes that have limited passengers, making airfare more expensive in comparison to flights going in and out of Aklan or Iloilo. The airplane cannot also carry cargo.