Boracay group not entirely opposed to airport upgrade

MANILA, Philippines - The Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) yesterday clarified it is not entirely opposed to the P2.5-billion Caticlan airport upgrade, saying they only want a study conducted on the environment impact of the project.

Henry Chusuey, BFI chairman and head of a five-star resort in the world-famous tourist destination, said that while they recognize the benefits a better airport in Caticlan would give Boracay establishments, they also want to make sure that any construction work would not harm the environment.

“We are not opposed to it. We just want to make sure that an environmental impact assessment study is done,” Chusuey told The STAR.

The Department of Transportation and Communications and the project proponent, the Caticlan International Airport Development Corp., is originally set to break ground on the build-operate-transfer project today but the event is reportedly postponed to Friday. No less than President Arroyo is expected to grace the event.

The Caticlan airport upgrade would reportedly include the leveling of a nearby hill, a plan that has drawn the concern of local environmentalists.

Recently, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has conducted a P32-million, 60-meter extension of the airport’s runway to accommodate bigger aircraft.

The BFI board, in a resolution it recently sent to Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez, expressed concern over the environmental effects that certain construction activities at the airport would bring.

“Leveling the hill to make way for the international airport in Caticlan would lead to ecological disaster,” the resolution stated.

“As discussed by several concerned environmental groups,” it added, “cutting the hill would cause irreversible effects to Boracay’s unique micro-climate and ultimately damage Boracay’s ecosystem, including its famous white beach.”

In its resolution, the BFI board said it “supports limited development of the Caticlan airport to enhance safety for domestic operations only.”