In Medellin: Salimbangon pushes for alternate airport

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon is pushing for an alternate international airport in the municipality of Medellin.

Salimbangon has filed House Bill 1943 seeking for the construction of an alternate airport to Mactan Cebu International Airport in northern Cebu. The bill is now pending before the House Committee on Transportation.

“This is an answer to the requirement that every international airport should have an alternate one,” Salimbangon said.

He explained that there are increasing numbers of flights at the MCIA, both domestic and international.

Any disruption in the operation of the MCIA will undoubtedly cause great repercussion not only in the air transportation industry in Cebu but likewise in Cebu’s economy, he said.

“An alternate airport equipped with modern, state-of-the-art navigational equipment and facilities, is necessary to be established in order to address contingencies in the air transportation system of MCIA,” Salimbangon said.

Salimbangon said Medellin, his hometown, is geographically best suited as a site for the construction of an alternate airport.

It has a vast area of flat land capable of addressing the requirements of an airport most especially the runway.

Medellin is likewise situated in an area where it is just nearby to tourist destinations like the Bantayan Island and Malapascua Island which is being dubbed as the virgin Boracay in the country.

Salimbangon added that the creation of an airport in Medellin will surely boost the tourism and economic activities not only in the northern Cebu but the neighboring provinces of Leyte and Masbate, as well.

Meanwhile, Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana is hopeful that the proposed airport in his town will be realized before President Benigno Aquino steps down from Malacañang in 2016.

“Dapat mahuman nana before the end of the term of the president. When he was here I told him the airport is the legacy of his mother, during her time as president, my father was also the mayor. Sabi niya, ‘Okay,’” said Esgana.

Esgana, however, admitted that their agreement with the president, who was in Cebu for the EDSA People Power Revolution celebration last month, was only verbal, he believes that before he exits in 2016, Bantayan Island will have its new airport. He said they will only need to concretize the one kilometer runway and the rest of the development will just follow.

Esgana explained that having an airport in Bantayan would be economically advantageous to the island in terms of tourism and trade. Bantayan boasts for its Boracay-like beaches and dried fish caught from its seawaters. Also, the mayor said the airport would save them time in coming to and from the city, as for the time being it would cost them at least 5 hours in getting to Cebu City, a one-way trip, to attend meetings and other official functions.

“Economic-wise it is very very valuable ang masud diha. Di lang sa atong tourism, sa mga product pud,” he said.

Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority general manager Nigel Paul Villarete found it a “very attractive idea” to have an airport in Bantayan Island and in Camotes. He said the present airports in these two islands, both operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), have already ceased operations after their contracts have expired last year.

“If the province will decide to pursue it we will certainly discuss it. There has to be a discussion on ownership, operations and control. Because whether we like it or not the air traffic is still being controlled by CAAP,” he said.

Villarete said the idea of having a private-public partnership for these airports is also “worth looking into”, especially that there are some private personalities who have expressed interests in the projects.

The Santa Fe airstrip, funded by the province through then Governor Lito Osmeña, was inaugurated in 1990 by a 12-seater private plane. More than two decades after, the airstrip is still made of limestone and only chartered flights land there.

Esgana said it is “high time” they have a real airport to connect them to the mainland Cebu and to other areas in the country. —/FPL (FREEMAN)