The airport operations of Cebu in 1952

The airports were then under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aeronautics Administration and was given appropriations by the Philippine Congress in 1952. Congress approved Republic Act 828, entitled "An Act to Appropriate Funds for the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of medical, fire-fighting, crash, rescue stations, equipment and other facilities needed by ports and other purposes."

Manila and Cebu were classified as First Class Ports. Cebu was appropriated the following items and funds:

One Fire Crash Truck with the amount of P80,000.00.

Two asbestos clothing at P450.00 each.

Six sets of fireman's coats, helmets and boots at P500 each for the total amount of P3,000.

For buildings:

For the construction of one building in the amount of P5,000.

Personnel:

One fire chief with a salary of P2,400, one assistant fire chief with salary of P2,040.00, three pump operators at P1,800 and one driver with salary of P1,680.00

For fuel and supplies the sum of P3,000 was appropriated. Cebu was allocated the total amount of P110,620.

Interestingly, while Manila was appropriated the funds for the hiring of a doctor, a nurse, and two driver medical attendants, Cebu was not given such amount.

The Manila airport was also given funds for the purchase of one ambulance in the amount of P10,000 and office and medical equipment in the amount of P1,000.

Thirteen were identified as second class ports -- Bacolod, Iloilo, Baguio, Davao, Legaspi, Daet, Cagayan, Laoag, Zamboanga, Naga, Dumaguete, Tacloban, and Tagbilaran.

Each of the airports was also allocated one fire crash trucks, one asbestos clothing and 39 fireman's coats. The thirteen airports were also given the power to hire fire crew chiefs each with a complementary of driver-pump operators, nozzlemen, and driver-first ders. The fire crew chief was given the salary of P1,920.

The amount of P52,000 was also appropriated for the construction of thirteen buildings.

Republic Act 828 approved on Aguust 14, 1952 during the Presidency of Elpidio Quirino authorized that the amount of one hundred ninety six thousand four hundred pesos is to be appropriated annually commencing with the fiscal year 1953 and 1954 (July 1, 1953 to June 30, 1954).

The Senate President that passed the law appropriating funds for the airport rescue operations was Senator Eulogio A. Rodriguez of the Nacionalista Party while the Majority Floor Leader was Senator Tomas Cabili (Liberal Party) of Lanao del Norte. Atty. Cabili worked as Staff of the The Freeman and taught at the Visayan Institute now University of the Visayas.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives at that time was Eugenio Padlan Perez of the Liberal Party. He was Speaker from 1946 to 1953. The daughter of Speaker Perez, by the name of Victoria, became the first wife of Jose de Venecia, who decades also became Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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