The Baler Airport in the province of Aurora is set to be expanded to better accommodate relief and emergency response operations, especially in times of calamities, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday.
Acting Transportation Chief Giovanni Lopez ordered the expansion after visiting the airport amid ongoing repairs due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan.
‘Aurora province is hit by typhoons almost every year, so we must ensure that the airport can accommodate larger aircraft for emergency relief and medical operations during such events. That’s why we’ll be extending and expanding the runway of Baler Airport,’ said Lopez in a statement written in Filipino.
Lopez said the expansion works include the extension and widening of the airport runway, the construction of a new passenger terminal building (PTB), and police barracks.
The project is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026 and is anticipated to be completed by 2027.
As of writing, operations at Baler Airport have already returned to normal following the effects of Uwan.
Meanwhile, Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Santiago, in the same statement, ordered the immediate repair of the passenger terminal building, port deck, and seawall of Dingalan Port to restore normal operations.
‘The port sustained severe damage due to the strong storm surge. We need to fix it quickly since it is frequently used by tourists visiting Baler,’ said Santiago in Filipino.
The DOTr said Dingalan Port’s passenger terminal building suffered extensive damage as half of the structure was buried under large rocks, while sand washed in from the sea during the storm surge. Due to this, Dingalan Port remains temporarily closed. /mr Due to this, Dingalan Port remains temporarily closed.