Surigao airport project sees expedited timeline with new contractor

Direct flights from Manila to Surigao and vice versa are set to resume by year-end as the new contractor for Surigao Airport’s development project has launched an accelerated construction pace to finish runway rehabilitation work by December this year.

The airport sustained damages after a strong earthquake rocked Surigao del Norte in 2017.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, led a site visit and inspection of the airport last Aug. 7. With him was Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar.

“As instructed by Secretary Tugade, focus shall be given on this project so as to make sure that no further delays will be incurred. Babantayan po natin ito upang masiguro na matatapos ng naaayon sa napagkasunduang timeline. ‘Yan po ang ginagawa natin at ‘yan po ang mangyayari,” Asec. Lopez said.

The new contractor, Pacific Concrete (PC), took over the rehabilitation works for the runway after the original contractor was terminated.

According to the revised plan, PC shall complete the ongoing preparatory works for the asphalt overlay of the existing 1,000meter usable runway and the rehabilitation of the unusable portion that was damaged by the magnitude 6.7 tremor.

It will also complete the additional 400meter runway portion, bringing the usable runway to 1,400 meters by December 2019. It will then adjust the usable runway to its full operational capability of 1,700 meters by the end of February 2020.