Manila: Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday pushed for additional funding to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to accelerate upgrades of airports in major tourist destinations. Zubiri urged his colleagues to consider institutional amendments to cover improvements for airports in Camiguin, Siargao, El Nido, and Coron, among others.

According to Philippines News Agency, Zubiri emphasized that Camiguin has an initial allocation, but construction could stall without more funds, while Siargao's runway needs expansion to accommodate larger aircraft and direct flights. He stated, "Kung makahanap tayo ng budget, magbigay din tayo ng dagdag doon sa Camiguin at dagdagan din natin 'yung sa airport ng Siargao (If we can find budget, let's add to Camiguin and also increase funding for the Siargao airport)," noting that island airports must be able to land A320s to sustain tourist arrivals.

Zubiri called for a whole-of-government approach to tourism planning, stressing that the DOTr should anticipate aviation policy impacts and coordinate closely with the Department of Tourism (DOT) instead of waiting for issues to arise. "It should be an all-government approach. Do not wait for the DOT to react (do not wait for DOT to react). We just have to think out of the box and we have to think progressively," he said.

He further highlighted the economic potential of investing in airports, estimating that even one million additional tourists spending USD1,000 each could contribute an extra USD1 billion to the economy. "That is not difficult if the country provides seamless gateways comparable to Cambodia, Thailand, or Vietnam," he added.