TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has opened the bidding for consulting services to determine the feasibility of a proposed new airport in Pambujan, Northern Samar, a project being considered as an alternative to expanding the existing Catarman Airport.
The procurement, opened Sept. 11, covers a feasibility study and master plan, environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), and land acquisition and resettlement action plan (LARAP) for the proposed airport.
The DOTr has set aside P86.877 million for the consulting services, with bids scheduled to be submitted on Oct. 13, 2026.
The studies are expected to determine the proposed airport’s technical and economic viability, establish its development plan, assess potential environmental and social impacts, and identify land acquisition and resettlement requirements.
The proposed site is in Barangay Poblacion, Pambujan, about 37 kilometers east of Catarman, the provincial capital and location of the existing airport.
An earlier site-selection assessment identified an area of about 43.6 hectares that could accommodate a runway of approximately two kilometers.
The proposed airport is being considered because of the limitations of Catarman Airport, which has a 1,600-meter runway and faces physical and operational constraints to further expansion.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) earlier said expansion of the existing airport would be difficult because a significant portion of the facility is within a military reservation.
CAAP also noted that Catarman Airport is the only airport in the region where a national highway crosses the runway, with roads located at both ends of the facility.
The airport’s existing physical limitations also restrict the type of aircraft that can operate there, affecting passenger capacity and airline operations.
A previous assessment cited Philippine Airlines as saying that an airport capable of accommodating larger aircraft could increase passenger capacity while improving fuel efficiency.
The Pambujan site has been considered for several years. CAAP earlier reported that a feasibility study found the proposed relocation site economically viable.
The new studies, however, will provide updated technical, economic, environmental and social information that will guide the government in determining whether and how the proposed airport should proceed.
For Northern Samar, the proposed airport is also being viewed in the context of efforts to improve air connectivity and support tourism, business and investment.
Provincial officials have cited the potential importance of improved air access as the province seeks to attract more investments, including renewable energy projects.
The proposed facility would therefore be evaluated not only as a replacement or alternative to the existing Catarman Airport, but also for its potential role in meeting the province’s longer-term transportation and development needs.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
