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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider BCDA to kickstart new terminal construction at San Fernando Airport

BCDA to kickstart new terminal construction at San Fernando Airport

Published Sep 2, 2025 05:48 pm
(PPMC photo)
(PPMC photo)
The San Fernando Airport in Poro Point, La Union, will undergo a ₱250-million facelift to boost its passenger capacity and enable the gateway to accommodate commercial operations, according to state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joshua Bingcang said the agency is gearing up for the start of the development of a new airport terminal that can serve passengers aboard commercial flights.
Bingcang said this modern 10,000-square-meter facility will replace the existing terminal, which has largely been neglected by the government.
The BCDA is currently finalizing the project specifications, including the upcoming bidding process for the design and build proposal.
San Fernando Airport, operated by the BCDA subsidiary Poro Point Management Corp. (PPMC), has primarily served chartered flights and flying schools.
The local government of La Union has been pushing for the resumption of commercial flights at the airport to boost tourism in the province, which is home to San Juan, the surfing capital of the north.
San Fernando Airport was considered an alternate to Loakan Airport in Baguio City, given their proximity and complementing tourist destinations.
With Loakan Airport’s limitations for an upgrade because of its mountainous terrain, Bingcang said upgrading San Fernando Airport would be the most ideal gateway for the government to boost tourism in Northern Luzon.
Last May, the BCDA said that South Korean engineering and consulting firm Moon Engineering Co. Ltd. had expressed interest in overseeing a feasibility study on the upgrade of the airport.
Improving the airport forms part of the BCDA’s plan to develop the Poro Point Freeport Zone, which includes the San Fernando Seaport.
The BCDA, through PPMC, took over operations of the seaport last year after the expiration of the lease contract of its previous operator, Poro Point Industrial Corp. 
Bingcang said the BCDA has tapped the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center to conduct a feasibility study for the long-term use of the seaport.
The agency is looking to expand the San Fernando Seaport by an additional 80 hectares to transform the facility into a logistics hub.
The study, which will conclude in 2027, will determine the best land-use plan for the project’s development.
Bingcang said the potential outcomes of the PPP Center-led study could include positioning the seaport to focus more on industry, agriculture, or even tourism.
“That’s where we can align the way we entertain proposals from the private sector,” he said.
The BCDA is expecting revenues of up to ₱80 million from San Fernando Seaport, a massive jump from its share of ₱5 million when it was under a private operator.
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