Airport expansion nearly done

CEBU, Philippines - The current expansion works at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is expected to be completed by April of this year, a development that is seen to reinforce Cebu’s position as a leading tourist destination for local and foreign tourists.

The expanded airport would include two more passenger waiting lounges, two passage ways to the bridges and two boarding bridges.

Airport General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete said that the civil works were already 95 percent complete.

They are merely waiting now for the delivery of equipment so that these will be installed, like elevators and air conditioning system. 

The airport manager added that despite the delay, this will not affect the cost of the project. He said the project was supposed to be completed in September of 2011 but due to some discrepancies in the design of the structure, corrective measures have to be done.

He said they discovered that a lot of utilities were using the areas where they were excavating so they had to reevaluate their work.

Villarete said once the project is completed, MCIA would then be ready to accommodate more flights to push Cebu as one of the country’s most preferred destinations.

Authorities have admitted that expanding the whole airport has long been overdue. In fact, there was also a recent discussion on the proposal to transfer the airport from Lapu-lapu City to the adjacent town of Cordova.

The idea of transferring the airport was raised by Cordova Municipal Mayor Adelino Sitoy, who offered more than 1,000 hectares of foreshore area to be reclaimed for the airport.

Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña had supported Sitoy’s proposal. The former Cebu City mayor said he can even get bankers to finance the reclamation of Cordova’s foreshore areas.

But the idea was opposed by Cebu 3rd District Representative Pablo John Garcia, who pointed out that Cebu City continues to be burdened by its debt for reclaiming the South Road Properties.

While Sitoy had told Korean investors that transferring the airport to Cordova would mean immunity from legal cases, Deputy House Speaker Pablo Garcia reminded Sitoy of the case over a Cordova reclamation project by the Malayan Integrated Industries Corporation.

In relation to the proposed transfer of the airport to Cordova, Henry Sy of the SM Group of Companies had also offered to buy the property where the current airport sits on, so authorities could use the money from the sale for the transfer of the facility.

“SM’s proposed development on the privatized property will provide Mactan as well as the surrounding communities with convenient access to a world-class and modern commercial and mixed-use complex, which stands to create significant economic activity, not to mention thousands of employment opportunities within the region,” Sy had said in a letter to the airport administrators.

Villarete had disclosed that the proposal was referred to the committee on planning and development of the MCIAA Board for further study.

Congressman Pablo John Garcia, however, stressed that the airport is “beyond the commerce of man” and thus could not be sold. (FREEMAN)