Plans Underway to Develop Guiuan Airport into Regional Gateway

by Miriam Desacada

Tacloban City- A member of Congress is pushing to develop the Guiuan Airport in Eastern Samar into an additional gateway to Eastern Visayas, saying it will improve connectivity, boost the economy, and create more jobs for the region. 

Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales said he will seek the inclusion of Guiuan Airport in the *Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Aviation Transport Infrastructure Program*. The program funds the modernization and upgrading of airports nationwide. 

The annual program covers the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of airport facilities such as runways, taxiways, passenger terminals, air traffic control towers, perimeter fences, and navigational equipment including night-landing systems. 

During a recent congressional hearing on the House bill seeking to renew the legislative franchise of Cebu Air Inc., Gonzales also urged the airline to consider launching domestic flights to and from Guiuan Airport.  

Airline officials said they will study the request. Cebu Air operates *Cebu Pacific*, the country’s largest carrier. 

Guiuan Airport currently has a 2,094-meter runway and is classified by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as a feeder airport. 

Engines of Economic Growth:

“Airports are engines of economic growth because they connect communities to the rest of the country, creating opportunities for tourism, trade, investment, and employment,”_ Gonzales said.  

_“A modern and fully operational provincial airport can attract more visitors, support MSMEs, encourage new businesses, and make the local economy more competitive,”_ he added. 

The lawmaker said developing provincial airports is a long-term investment that strengthens regional links and opens new markets for local products.  

_“Thriving airports also create jobs and give provinces like Eastern Samar a stronger foundation for sustained economic growth and higher household incomes,”_ Gonzales said. 

Guiuan Airport played a critical role in disaster response after Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, serving as Samar Island’s main hub for relief and humanitarian operations. 

The original airfield was built by American forces during World War II.