DAVAO CITY – Local officials of Davao Oriental are upbeat with the upcoming implementation of proposed infrastructure for the revival of Mati Airport that would open more economic opportunities not just in the City of Mati but also in the entire province.
GOV. Niño Uy (center) with DOTr officials. (PIO Davao Oriental)
On Monday, Jan. 14, City of Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat and Davao Oriental Gov. Niño Uy met officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), contractors, and other local government officials to accelerate the development of the Mati Airport.
Rabat highlighted the significant economic opportunities that the Mati Airport could bring to the region once it begins commercial operations.
She cited the potential contribution of the airport to the development of the City of Mati. “This airport will not only open up our city to the world but also provide our people with access to opportunities that were previously out of reach,” said Rabat.
Uy, chairperson of the Regional Development Council in the Davao region, emphasized the airport’s broader impact on the progress of the area.
He pledged full support to the project in collaboration with the DOTr and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to ensure its success.
“This airport will provide better access for businesses looking to invest in the province,” the governor said, adding that the project would serve as a gateway to greater development for the province.
During the meeting, local government officials and representatives of the DOTr discussed the additional funding for the airport amounting to P87.9 million and expected to begin before the end of this month.
A statement from the City Government of Mati said funding will cover landside civil works, including both horizontal and vertical structures.
These facilities will include a passenger terminal building, a parking area for 40 to 50 vehicles, a fire station building, and an elevated water tank. These essential structures are designed to support the operation of small jets and turbo-propeller planes.
Initial rehabilitation works for the airport commenced sometime in 2019 under the administration of the late Gov. Cora Malanyaon.
Nakpil and Uy acknowledged the vital roles played by the late governor during her term as chairman of the RDC when she strongly endorsed the airport for funding.
Under her term as RDC chair, Malanyaon proposed an estimated P375 million for the improvement of existing facilities that will support safe and efficient turbo propeller plane operation to accommodate flights.
Rabat acknowledged the initial P100-million budget secured through former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo allocated for the airport’s development.
With the upcoming improvement works, the mayor said that the airport could be operational for smaller aircraft by November.
The City Government of Mati also disclosed that the DOTr and the provincial government are set to sign an agreement for the expansion and development of the airport runway with a budget of P90 million.
The city government quoted the DOTr as saying that the airport would be ready to accommodate larger propeller-driven aircraft of airline companies to commercially operate in Mati by fourth quarter of 2026.
“This airport is not just about transportation. It is about unlocking economic and tourism opportunities for Mati City and the entire province,” Uy said.
With a runway length of 1.6 kilometers, the airport is currently used to accommodate private chartered flights and ultralight aircraft for recreational purposes.
Built in the 1980s, the airport was a gift for the province headed by Francisco “Paking” Rabat from President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
The airport named after Marcos Sr.’s wife Imelda was built on a private property owned by the Rabat and Rocamora families.
In 2022, the DOTr paid P174 million to the family members to settle the ownership claims over the estate on which the airport was built.
The airport sits in Barangay Dahican where white-sand beaches and resorts that have been attracting local and foreign tourists are located.
Tourists outside of Mindanao bound for the City of Mati land at Davao International Airport of this city and travel by land for at least 180 kilometers that usually takes about three to four hours.
Aside from the famous Dahican Beach, the province is also home to several tourists destinations such as the pygmy forests of Mount Hamiguitan in San Isidro and Mati, the cascading Aliwagwag falls in Cateel, Pusan Point in Caraga, and Pujada Bay in Mati.
The opening of the airport as an alternative to DIA could ease access not just to tourist destinations in the City of Mati but in many parts of Davao Oriental.