Airport in Medellin to rise soon, says Salimbangon

CEBU, Philippines - Travel from Cebu City to the town of Medellin will soon take around 15 minutes instead of four hours as an airport is set to be constructed in the municipality.

Cebu fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon said during a meeting with the owners and representatives of flying schools in Cebu said the 30-hectare airport soon to rise in Medellin will certainly boost its tourism industry and economy.

"Mas dali na lang ang travel. Instead of four hours, mga 15 minutes na lang from Cebu City to Medellin. This will certainly attract a lot of tourists and investors," he said.

Salimbangon said the lot will be donated by the municipal government of Medellin, while the one-kilometer runway amounting to P40 million will be financed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, which will also be the one to put up state-of-the-art equipment.

The management of the said airport, on the other hand, will be done by the Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PhilSCA), which will also put up its own building at the safe side of the airport.

Salimbangon, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Communication, said he expected that the airport, which will be located in Barangay Camputatatan, Medellin, will be operational by the end of next year.

In line with this project, Salimbangon met with the operators of flying schools that are currently using the General Aviation area at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

There are currently four flying schools operating in Cebu, namely the Airworks Aviation, Cheynair Aviation Inc., Continental Aero and Adventure Flight, which will soon transfer in five years time with the expansion of MCIA.

Salimbangon said the airport is just one of the components of the masterplan development for the fourth district.

During their meeting, several issues were discussed such as a much lowered airport fee, hangars rental fee, as well as putting up of an aviation fuel depot near the area once the airport is in place.

Meanwhile, PhilSCA director Nonadel Soriano said their campus in Medellin currently has 65 students, who are all scholars of Salimbangon and are taking up Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Maintenance Technology.

PhilSCA-Medellin Campus is still in its second semester since its operation early this year.

Soriano said they are proposing that by next semester, the school will offer two additional courses, namely Bachelor of Science in Aviation Information System and Bachelor of Arts Major in Aviation Tourism.

"There is really a demand for aviation courses. That's why we are proposing these two additional courses," Soriano said. — (FREEMAN)