Aboitiz infrastructure group bags Laguindingan Airport

I just got this wonderful news about the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental, which serves both the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. Apparently the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) last Feb. 26 granted the Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC), the infrastructure business unit of the Aboitiz Group Original Proponent Status (OPS) for its unsolicited proposal for the upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance of this major airport in Northern Mindanao.

I recall that the Laguindingan Airport took a very long time (20 years) to construct from the time of then Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. By the time of then Pres. Benigno Aquino III, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) as it was once named, hastily had this airport blessed by Pres. Aquino in 2013 despite its lack of navigation equipment which did not allow evening flights to land in Laguindingan Airport. I visit CDO a lot and at that time I got complaints from many Cebuano and CDO businessmen that the Laguindingan Airport only had day flights as night flights were not allowed by CAAP even if it was already blessed by Pres. Aquino.

I was having dinner with friends in a famous CDO restaurant when Mayor Oscar Moreno (we were friends when he was still with Ayala Corp.) joined our dinner and I personally told him about the problem of the CDO businessmen. Mayor Moreno raised up his hands in surrender that he could no longer do anything. Apparently, I learned that his political party was allied with Pres. Aquino and in those days, people were hesitant to question Pres. Aquino. We had a similar problem in Cebu City which then supported the candidacy of Pres. Aquino, yet he did not give the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) his approval and literally gave no major infrastructure for Cebu in his six years as President despite being supported by Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his BOPK party.

When they constructed the Laguindingan Airport, it was like constructing a new terminal in old Lumbia Airport up in the mountains of Cagayan de Oro. Passenger traffic at Laguindingan Airport has been above the airport’s design capacity of 1.6 million passengers per year from the time the airport began operations in 2013, based on statistics from CAAP. In 2018, an estimated two million passengers passed through this airport.

I still believe it is a good location for airports serving both CDO and Iligan. I just read the news a few days ago that the Office of the Ombudsman has junked the graft case against CDO Mayor Oscar Moreno and former city treasurer Glenn Bañez in connection with the city government’s tax settlement with Ajinomoto Philippines Corp. This resolution junking the graft charges against the Mayor was signed by Assistant Special Prosecutor Anthony Vista, which stemmed from the complaint of former Barangay Tagpangi chairman William Guialani. Of course Mayor Moreno was very happy about this decision so he could go on his campaign without any more issues about his mayorship.

Anyway, with the CAAP granting the Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) its unsolicited proposal for the upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance of this major airport in Northern Mindanao, allow me to say that at least there is a new hope for the Laguindingan Aiport’s expansion program, which it needs very badly. Aboitiz companies have a very good track record in implementing its projects that we are proud this Cebuano company won its bid with CAAP.

AIC chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said “The granting of the OPS for the Laguindingan Airport opens up an opportunity for us to play a major role in improving our country’s vital gateways. We believe we can be instrumental in connecting our country’s local economies, thereby uplifting the lives of Filipinos. We look forward to progressing beyond project development, and into project execution and operations in 2019.” I learned that this is a P42.7 billion project that involves capacity augmentation through expansion or construction of new passenger terminals, installation of required equipment, and enhancement and development of airside facilities.

The business sector in northern Mindanao enthusiastically welcomed this progress as they consider the rehabilitation and upgrade of the airport critical to the growth of investments and development of various industries in the region, particularly tourism. Thirty years ago, I was vice president-external of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and we created the CDO Chamber of Commerce. We are excited to know that Aboitiz got the OPS. It took us 20 years before this  airport was built. We don’t want to wait another 20 years for its expansion,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Region 10 Governor Ghaye Alegrio.

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