By Leilanie G. Adriano
LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte officials are seeking assistance from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) regarding the planned airport project in Pagudpud aimed at stirring economic growth in the province.
Through Provincial Resolution 042-2025, the Ilocos Norte Provincial Board is requesting the DOTr to conduct a feasibility study for the project.
“Famous for its pristine beaches, scenic landscapes, and rich cultural heritage, Pagudpud can attract more local and foreign tourists with the establishment of a reliable and efficient air transportation infrastructure,” Provincial Board member Marlon Ferdinand Sales said in an interview on Sept. 16, 2025.
Sales, who hails from Pagudpud, sponsored the resolution at the Provincial Board Session Hall on Sept. 15, 2025.
As an initial step for the development of an airport, Engr. Raul Glorioso of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said during the deliberation at the Session Hall that there is a need to conduct a technical study and screening of the proposed site first.
“First, we need to check the technical viability of the project. If this can pass the proximity of 24-km. radius from an existing airport and if there are obstacles on the runway, be it man-made or natural,” Glorioso said.
Pagudpud is about 92 km. from the Laoag International Airport or an approximately two-hour drive.
After checking the technical viability, the project’s economic viability will be assessed next, “hence, the need for a feasibility study,” Glorioso said.
The resolution requests the DOTr, through Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, to conduct a site evaluation and technical study of the planned airport project at the soonest possible time.
This would be followed by a detailed feasibility study with funding allocation.
The feasibility study may take about a year or more, according to CAAP.
The proposed airport site is being considered at Brgy. Tarrag or in Caparispisan.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last year said major infrastructure projects in the Ilocos Region are underway not only to boost tourism but also promote countryside development.
During the inauguration of the Pagudpud Tourist Rest Area in May 2024, Marcos, who is from the City of Batac, said the government is anticipating the influx of tourists in the area with the development of the Ilocos and Pangasinan Regional Historical Trail.
