Masbate Airport to resume operations Tuesday —DOTr

Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Tuesday that Masbate Airport, which sustained damage due to Severe Tropical Storm Opong, will resume operations within the day.

Lopez said that repairs continue and personnel worked overtime to make the terminal safe for passengers.

“Ako naman po nakatanggap ng reports na last night mayroon na po nakalagay na sila ng bubong, nag-overtime talaga ang tauhan natin. Maayos na po 'yung mga nasa loob, 'yung mga sa tingin natin hazardous at medyo delikado na nakalabas lang na matutulis ng mga bagay ay naayos na rin po lahat ''yan,” Lopez said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(I received reports that last night, they were able to install roofing, and our personnel worked overtime. The interior is now safe, and all hazardous objects have been cleared.) 

He added Cebu Pacific is expected to resume flights from Masbate to Clark as early as today.

“Ang sabi ng Cebu Pacific sa amin nagpadala sila ng internet connection din 'yung Starlink kung mababanggit ko. At sa tingin ko kaya nilang gumawa na po ng biyahe ngayong araw,” he said.

(Cebu Pacific told us that they were able to send Starlink for internet connection. I think they can operate flights again today.)

He explained that the Masbate airport infrastructure, built in 2016, is older and less resilient than newer facilities like Calbayog Airport, constructed between 2021 and 2022.

On Saturday, DOTr vowed to fast track repairs at the Masbate Airport after the facility suffered heavy damage worth P10 million to P15 million.

Airport operations have been suspended since Thursday even before Opong made landfall twice on the province—at Palanas town at 4 a.m. Friday and about an hour later in Milagros.—AOL, GMA Integrated News