All idle real-estate assets of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), such as unused airports, could be converted into commercial areas, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said on Thursday.
Instead of lying idle, Drilon said the government could use some Caap assets to generate more revenues and create jobs.
“Halimbawa na lang, ’yung Bacolod airport, this is 30 hectares of prime government property. Why is it not being developed? These are assets which can generate activity,” he said during an ambush interview.
Drilon said there are some unused airports in the country that have already been converted into commercial areas.
“We should look at these idle assets of the government and see what can be done to generate employment and economic activity,” he said.
Drilon said developing idle Caap assets would allow the government to earn billions of pesos.
“These idle government assets, if properly attended to, can benefit our economy,” he said.
Drilon cited as an example the present Ayala Avenue, which used to be Nielson Airport during World War II.
It was closed in the 1950s and turned into the highly successful Ayala Commercial Center, while the airport was brought to the Pasay/Parañaque boundary to become the Manila Domestic Airport and later the Ninoy Aquino International Airport with the addition of an international runway, 06-24.
Meanwhile, Drilon said many of the country’s airports now look like the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), where there are numerous billboards.
“Alam mo, mukhang Edsa na ang ating mga airports, puno ng advertisements. Sa akin ay dapat tingnan kung talagang kailangan natin iyan o kailangan natin ang mas malinis na terminals,” he said.
Drilon called for a review of rules that govern the putting up of billboards in local airports.
“Kapag ni-negotiate lamang ay hindi malalaman if this is the true value of the government asset we are getting. So all I ask is for all of these policies to be reviewed,” he said.