Funds Allocated for Bacolod-Silay Airport Expansion Totals P205 Million
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has been pushing the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for a whopping PHP 205 million to ramp up renovations at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay, Negros Occidental.
In a statement on April 24, 2025, Lt. General Raul del Rosario, CAAP’s director general, agreed to set aside the requested budget for the Bacolod-Silay Airport Development Project in their 2025 Corporate Operating Budget (COB).
The hefty budget covers the expansion of the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), with a significant portion, PHP 200 million, allocated for improving the congested check-in and pre-departure areas, aiming to accommodate an increasing number of passengers and address the access road to the Fire Station Building (FSB), which receives PHP 5 million.
Although the funding details have not been extensively disclosed, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) is expected to contribute to the asphalt overlay of the existing runway at Bacolod-Silay Airport, ensuring safe aircraft operations.
Back in February 2025, Benitez called for PHP 200 million in improvements and renovations for Bacolod-Silay Airport.
Beyond the newly approved funding, CAAP has reported annual rehabilitation efforts for a PHP 45 million PTB project at the Bacolod-Silay Airport to address the building's shortcomings and extensive damage.
Projected for completion in December 2025, this upgrade initiative comes as welcomed news to Benitez, who voiced his gratitude to CAAP for approving and allocating the funding.
As the airport upgrades continue, travelers departing from Bacolod-Silay Airport now pay PHP 300 (an increase from the previous PHP 200) per passenger due to a Passenger Service Charge hike. Additionally, although not directly linked to the PHP 205 million allocation, a nationwide PHP 2.6 trillion infrastructure project pipeline under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is underway, although the Bacolod-Silay Airport appears absent from the current PPP pipeline, which features projects like the Subic International Airport (PHP 5.31 billion) and the Last Mile Schools Green Energy Project (PHP 3.97 billion).
In summary, despite some ambiguities, the Bacolod-Silay Airport is set for significant improvements, hopefully enhancing safety, efficiency, and overall passenger experience for travelers in Bacolod and the surrounding region.
- The Bacolod-Silay Airport in the Philippines is set to undergo a major renovation, with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) allocating PHP 205 million for the project.
- The budget, agreed upon by CAAP's director general, Lt. General Raul del Rosario, will be used to expand the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) and improve the check-in and pre-departure areas, among other things.
- The renovation project includes PHP 200 million for the congested check-in and pre-departure areas, and PHP 5 million for the access road to the Fire Station Building (FSB).
- Beyond the PHP 205 million allocation, CAAP has reported annual rehabilitation efforts for a separate PHP 45 million PTB project at the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
- As part of a larger nationwide infrastructure project pipeline under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), the Bacolod-Silay Airport is expected to undergo improvements, aiming to enhance safety, efficiency, and passenger experience.
