ZAMBOANGA CITY – The monitoring committee for the New Zamboanga International Airport (NZIA) Development Project convened on Tuesday morning, March 25, to discuss updates on the land acquisition process with representatives from the Department of Transportation (DoTr) central office.
City Planning Coordinator Luz Agbayani presided over the meeting, following the recent visit of DoTr Secretary Vince Dizon to Zamboanga City. During his visit, Secretary Dizon formally accepted 76 transfer certificates of title (TCTs) from the city government, representing parcels of land purchased for the new airport project in Barangays Mercedes, Talabaan, and Zambowood. This latest turnover increases the total number of acquired lots to 138, with the initial batch consisting of 62 land titles.
The 76 newly transferred titles account for approximately 70% of the 396 appraised lots needed for the project. Of the remaining 326 lots to be acquired through negotiated sale, 321 lots have received their first payment, while 110 lots have been fully paid. However, 67 lots are slated for expropriation due to the refusal of owners to sell at the government-set price, and three lots are owned by the city government.
The national government, through the DoTr, has so far released nearly P2 billion for the NZIA project, with funds downloaded by tranches to the city government via the Land Bank of the Philippines. The allocations include P200 million in the first release, followed by P1 billion, and a final P400 million, primarily for land acquisition and the construction of a perimeter fence around the designated airport property.
DoTr officials have expressed hope that land acquisition will be completed soon, allowing the project to proceed to Phase 2—actual airport construction—by next year.
Meanwhile, the Housing Division reported that the clearing of structures and improvements on 329 lots has been proceeding smoothly, without any resistance from affected landowners.