Davao Oriental execs: Mati airport upgrade to augur new era of travel
Davao Oriental Governor Niño Sotero Uy during the groundbreaking of the upgrading project of Mati City Airport on Monday, February 10, 2025. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DAVAO ORIENTAL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
DAVAO CITY — Davao Oriental officials project a new era of travel and connectivity in the southeasternmost province of Mindanao as they broke ground to upgrade the Mati City airport for commercial operations on Monday, Feb. 10.
Governor Niño Sotero Uy said the upgrading of the Mati airport for commercial operations is a dream come true for the people of Davao Oriental as it would connect the province to the rest of the country and the world, and make the transport of goods and services much easier and faster.
He said that for a long time, Davao Oriental had been left out by development and progress, “not for lack of effort but primarily for the challenges brought about by geography.” He said that for years, people largely relied on land travel to get to Mati, but with the upgrading of the Mati airport, things were about to change.
The first phase of the project will include the construction of a passenger terminal and other horizontal and vertical airport facilities to accommodate propeller jets.
Its second phase will include the expansion of its 1.6-km runway to 2.1-km to accommodate Airbus 320 aircraft, said Engr. Rex Obcena, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines in Davao City.
Article continues after this advertisementMayor Michelle Rabat said the airport would be operational by 2026.
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Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat during the groundbreaking of the upgrading project of Mati City Airport on Monday, February 10, 2025. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DAVAO ORIENTAL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Arturo Milan, co-chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC), said such a vital infrastructure project as the Mati airport would benefit not only Davao Oriental and the city of Mati but also the Davao region as it would support tourism, the province’s fishing industry and agriculture sector.
Milan said Mati airport would also serve as an alternative airport for the Davao region in case of emergencies and calamities. “I’m really very happy to see that things are already moving for the Mati airport.”
Rabat, however, said that beyond Mati City and Davao Oriental’s huge potential as a tourism destination, the natural beauty of the place also makes it ideal for filming and location shoots both for movie enthusiasts and professionals alike.
She said that a crew from Netflix recently chose Mati City as the location to shoot the scenes of one of its upcoming movies. “Mati is naturally beautiful. But what we’re trying to promote is, when you’re in Mati and Davao Oriental, what else can you do, aside from surfing?” she asked.
“Recently we had a crew from Netflix who did their shooting here in Mati and found the place very beautiful so they’re trying to promote Mati again as a place where they can film, I guess that’s one way to advertise our place,” she added.
“One thing you can’t deny is the beauty of this province, you know you already have the features that can put us on the map, That’s the reason we took interest in the airport,” said Rabat.
