Bicol: The government has allocated PHP300 million to address the issue of transmission lines obstructing the Bicol International Airport's (BIA) runway. Half of this budget is sourced from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), while the other half is provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), as stated by CAAP information officer Bea Bernardo.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DOTr and CAAP have signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to tackle the obstruction caused by transmission lines, which currently limits the runway operations to small aircraft. The runway, about 2.5 kilometers in length, is crucial for accommodating larger jets.

DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez has expressed his commitment to resolving this issue within the year. This follows a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., aimed at maximizing the airport's operations to enable it to handle international flights. Once the obstruction is removed, the BIA will be able to accommodate larger aircraft, enhancing its operational capacity.

Bernardo further mentioned that the local government is actively coordinating with CAAP to facilitate the introduction of international flights via the BIA, thereby expanding its connectivity and operational scope.