THE DAVAO City Air Service Development Committee, provided under Executive No. 28 series of 2024, aims to boost the city’s economy by developing reliable air service and the region.
Mayor Sebastian Duterte signed EO 28 on Aug. 19 to improve the air service industry and restore pre-pandemic tourism arrival.
The committee will lead the creation and implementation of the Davao City Air Connectivity Development Program.
It is mandated to attract and retain new air carriers and services to meet the identified flight needs of the Davao community.
The committee will serve as a focal point for air carriers in introducing, expanding, and sustaining air services to and from the Davao International Airport.
“Air service development is a community and regional effort by the public and private sectors to demonstrate to air carriers that international and domestic air services to Davao would provide a strong market opportunity,” the order stated.
The city government recognized that improving tourism will positively impact the creation of jobs available for the people of Davao Region, which is positioned as a “tourism and investment destination.”
While Davao International Airport, or the Francisco Bangoy International Airport is recognized as a priority gateway to the region and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), it can be enhanced as an economic hub and a center of transportation of the region.
It can be noted that tourism arrival declined due to the cross-border air, sea, and land movement restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“There is a need to restore pre-COVID-19 international and domestic routes and frequencies, and retain and recruit additional service to new markets in the Philippines and overseas to accelerate recovery and growth of tourism and trade,” the order reads.
The city mayor reported during his State of the City Address on August 6 that tourist arrivals here increased last year with 1,296,928 compared to 897,406 in 2022.
He added tourism here has steadily recovered two years post-pandemic.
However, the city has not yet reached the banner year 2019 with 2.5 million tourist arrivals.
The mayor will chair the committee, and co-chaired by the regional director of the Department of Tourism XI. Meanwhile, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. will sit as vice chair.
The members are the City Tourism Operations Office, Davao City Investment Promotion Center; Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Committee on Tourism and Beautification, and Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations; Davao International Airport Authority; Civil Aeronautics Board; Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines XI; Bureau of Customs – Port of Davao; Bureau of Immigration Regional Office XI; Mindanao Development Authority; Department of Trade and Industry XI; Department of Agriculture XI; and Davao Tourism Association.
Apart from developing the program, the committee will assist air carriers in evaluating proposed routes, and frequencies, consult targeted air carriers and any airport-related incentives and marketing support, and serve as the focal entity for air carriers in their air service development program, among others.
The committee is mandated to meet regularly every two months during the first year of operation, as stated in the EO.
