Davao Region Poised to Become Key Aerospace Hub in the Philippines

Davao City – The Davao Region is set to transform into a major aerospace hub in the Philippines, according to Dr. Rogel Mari Sese, an adviser for the rocketry team at Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU). This announcement follows the team’s successful participation in an international rocket engineering competition.

According to Philippines News Agency, who chairs the AdDU Aerospace Engineering department and leads the rocketry team, the region’s potential for aerospace activities was confirmed through extensive analysis. “In our study before, when we talked about the space industry, we found that a launch facility is one of the biggest infrastructures a country can have. This also involves the growth of other industries, such as manufacturing, which we hope to bring to the region in the future,” Sese explained during a press briefing. His comments highlight the multifaceted economic benefits such a development would bring to Davao.

The impetus for designating the Davao Region as an aerospace hub came after the successful launch of the rocket ‘Sibol’ at the 7th annual Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, USA, on June 22. The Spaceport America Cup is recognized as the world’s largest Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition, featuring around 200 teams from 20 countries. The AdDU Rocketry Team, as the first Filipino team to compete in the event, achieved a milestone by launching ‘Sibol’ to a target altitude of 10,000 feet.

Dr. Sese, who has previously led the National Space Development Program under the Department of Science and Technology and was instrumental in establishing the Philippine Space Agency and the Philippine Space Utilization Policy in 2019, noted significant interest in developing the Davao region not just as an aerospace hub but also as a center for astro-tourism. “We call it like it’s a Philippines gateway to the stars,” he added, underscoring the visionary goals for the region’s future in aerospace and space tourism.