Cebu Representative proposes new northern Cebu airport

AviationUpdatesPH.com – A Philippine lawmaker has proposed for the development of a new international airport in the northern part of the central province of Cebu. 

The proposal for the airport – filed as House Bill No. 9665 in the Philippine Congress by Representative Vincent Franco Frasco – would lead to the development of the Sogod Cebu International Airport in Sogod located 60 kilometers north of Cebu City and the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

According to Frasco, the proposed airport will help decongest air traffic in the existing airport and will serve as the main gateway in the northern part of Cebu. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will facilitate the construction of the new airport that would accommodate both domestic and international flights.

“With the administration’s prioritization to boost the government’s spending on infrastructure, the proposed Sogod Cebu International Airport will not only uplift the lives of the Sogoranons but will also bring a significant economic impact to the Province of Cebu and the rest of the country,” Frasco said in his explanatory note.

Frasco has yet to present the time frame for the completion and an estimated cost of the project. The bill for the airport was filed on December 4, 2023. It is currently pending deliberation in the Philippine Congress' Committee on Transportation.

The current primary Cebu airport – the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) – is the second busiest airport in the Philippines after the Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport. MCIA reported it served 790,000 passengers during the month of October – 1 160% increase compared to the same period the previous year.