Guv answers
Pernia
By ANGELINE
VALENCIA/PGMA
Bohol
Chronicle
19th June
2008
"Don't rock
the boat."
An appeal
for progress
sounds like
this for
Governor
Erico
Aumentado as
he
reiterated
the merits
of the eyed
P4.2-billion
Panglao-Bohol
International
Airport
Development
Project.
The
governor
contained it
in a paid ad
published
Sunday in
major
newspapers
in the
province,
the same
vehicle that
economics
professor
Dr. Ernesto
Pernia used
in raising
issues
against the
project.
Describing
the
multi-billion-peso
project as a
golden
opportunity
Boholanos
shouldn't
miss, the
governor
made an
appeal to
Pernia, "not
to rock the
boat while
it is on its
steady
course to
progress".
"It
cannot be
denied that
the pouring
of more
investments
in the
province
will
generate
more jobs,
livelihood
and wider
economic
opportunities
for our
people,"
Aumentado
told Pernia.
Aumentado
hinted that
though it
was not
necessary to
entertain
the unsigned
paid ad
entitled "An
Appeal for
Clarification
on the
Proposed
Panglao
Airport"
published on
May 4 issue
of The Bohol
Chronicle,
he really
came up with
a reply and
made it
known to
public
through a
paid ad
containing
his letter
to Pernia
dated May
30, 2008. It
is to show
his respect
for Pernia
"as a man of
stature and
a fellow
Boholano.
In the
paid ad
entitled,
"An Appeal
for
Progress",
Aumentado
expressed
lament that
the
opposition
to the
airport
project led
by Dr.
Pernia only
came "at a
time when it
is in the
process of
implementation.
There had
been
consultations
made in the
past and it
has been in
the
newspapers
for a while
already, yet
the group of
Pernia only
came about
half a month
before its
groundbreaking
where the
President
herself led
the time
capsule-laying
ceremony,
according to
the
governor.
In fact,
environmental
impact
assessment
(EIA) study,
generating a
series of
consultations
and meetings
in the
municipality
of Panglao,
was already
done as a
pre-requisite
for the
issuance of
the
environmental
clearance
certificate
(ECC) by
DENR-EMB for
the project.
Social
preparations
have already
been in
place with
the Center
for
Integrated
Development
and Social
Marketing,
Inc.
presently
attending to
some
concerns.
The
preparations
for the
project
already
reached that
far, but
"parenthetically,
no one from
the alleged
signatories
of your May
4 appeal
came out to
oppose the
PBIA during
the series
of
consultations
on
environment
and social
preparations,"
Aumentado
told Pernia.
He
considers
the Panglao
international
airport
project as
one of the
golden
opportunities
for the
economic
boom of
Bohol, an
opportunity
that
Boholanos
should not
miss this
time or the
same
opportunity
may not be
available in
the future.
"I am
sure that
you share
our vision
for a
greater and
progressive
Bohol. The
establishment
of the PBIA
is one of
the golden
opportunities
for us to
push Bohol
forward. And
this is one
opportunity
that we must
not miss for
our beloved
province.
Let us
remember
that
opportunity
knocks but
once,"
Aumentado
explained.
Moreover,
the NEDA
Board and
the Cabinet
Group had
already
approved the
international
airport
project, he
said.
Though it
has been
repeatedly
mentioned in
news items
for a period
of time
already and
announced
over the
weekly radio
program,
Governor's
Report,
Aumentado
exerted
effort to
send it
straight
from the
provincial
chief
executive's
end that the
project is
much needed;
that the
P4.2-billion
project will
be
implemented
without any
loan; that
it is
economically
viable based
on
feasibility
studies; its
site has
been found
to be the
most
conducive;
that it
complied the
requirements
of the
environment
department;
its social
acceptability
has been
established;
and that
without
doubt, it
will be a
"magnet of
development".
Aumentado
explained
that the
multi-billion-peso
project
"will be the
only
international
airport to
be
constructed
by the
national
government
without any
Official
Development
Assistance
(ODA) loan"
as assured
by President
Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo
and DOTC
Secretary
Leandro
Mendoza.
"The
Manila
International
Airport
Authority
(MIAA) will
provide P3
billion from
its
corporate
funds, and
the
Department
of
Transportation
and
Communications
(DOTC) the
balance of
P1.2 billion
from its
appropriation,
which cover
also the
land
acquisition
of about
211.5
hectares for
the project
and other
pre-construction
expenditures,"
the governor
stated in
the letter.
Aumentado
cited the
feasibility
study that
TCGI
Engineers
conducted
and
validated by
the Regional
Development
Council and
NEDA Region
7, that "the
airport has
an economic
internal
rate of
return
(EIRR) of
23.6
percent",
even higher
than the
NEDA
threshold of
15 percent.
It is
based on the
projected
capacity of
the airport,
when
harnessed in
full, to
accommodate
"chartered
flights of
tourists
from foreign
lands in
addition to
regular
domestic,
regional and
international
flights",
the existing
Tagbilaran
Airport has
six flights-
-three each
by PAL and
Cebu
Pacific,
"despite its
area
limitation
and natural
risks".
The
original
plan was to
have a
domestic
airport with
international
standards
that will be
constructed
in two
phases
wherein
Phase 1 will
include a
runway of
2.5
kilometers
with the
necessary
facilities
as Package
1, and
Package 2
will include
a terminal
building
with the
attached
facilities,
Aumentado
explained.
Phase 2
will follow
later to
include the
construction
of a
one-kilometer
extension of
the runway
and a much
larger
terminal
building and
cargo area
to
accommodate
bigger
aircrafts
such as the
Airbus 340,
Boeing 747
and Airbus
380.
"The
airport's
classification
has been
elevated to
international
by the
Medium Term
Development
Plan drafted
by NEDA
during the
watch of
then
Director-General
Romulo L.
Neri and
approved by
the NEDA
Board and
Cabinet,"
the governor
said.
On the
other hand,
the Swedish
Aviation
Authority as
commissioned
by DOTC, and
the European
Union
consultants
by the
Department
of Tourism
conducted a
series of
studies
which led to
Panglao as
the most
preferred
and
appropriate
site for the
project,
traversing
through
barangays
Lourdes,
Bolod, and
Danao.
The Civil
Aviation
Authority of
the
Philippines
(CAAP),
formerly Air
Transportation
Office, had
it that the
eyed Panglao
airport will
serve as
complementary
to the
Mactan Cebu
International
Airport
(MCIA).
This, as
Panglao will
be the
nearest
international
airport to
MCIA.
"Contrary
to your
claim in
media, with
due respect,
Iloilo and
Cagayan de
Oro airports
are not
international
airports. In
fact, they
are
classified
by CAAP as
domestic
airports and
there is no
international
flight
therein.
Thus, they
cannot
complement
the
requirements
in times of
emergency
situation of
the MCIA,"
the governor
explained.
Moreover,
Panglao's
land area of
9,825
hectares
proved
bigger than
Mactan
Island's
7,385
hectares. Of
Panglao's
land mass,
the area of
211.5
hectares
where the
international
airport will
be
constructed
is just
about 2.15
percent.
Being a
stand alone
tourism
destination
in the
global
roadmap as
President
Arroyo and
the DOT
considered
Bohol, an
international
airport in
the province
becomes
necessary.
It is
also in
consideration
that its
eco-cultural
heritage
endowments
and
agri-tourism
potentials
made Bohol
"a major
player in
the
development
of the
Central
Philippines
Super Region
tourism
industry",
the governor
added.
He also
said
upgrading
the existing
Tagbilaran
Airport will
cost more- -
P6.522-billion.
That is
aside from
the limited
airport
space to
accommodate
improvements
and the
Maribojoc
mountain
range nearby
that pose
danger to
flights.
Recently,
the
cancelled
visit of
King Mswati
III of
Swaziland
due to the
limitations
of the
Tagbilaran
Airport only
meant "the
need called
to hasten
the PBIA
construction
and
operation as
well,"
according to
the
governor.
He also
mentioned
Bohol's
strategic
location for
"PBIA to be
the entry
point of
tourists to
Dumaguete
City,
Siquijor,
Dipolog and
Camiguin,
given the
fast ferries
linking
presently
the province
to these
neighboring
areas".
The
social
preparations
aspect of
the project
even "led to
the
organization
into a
cooperative
of the
airport
landowners
and the
laying of
the
fundamentals
of
mitigating
measures for
some
perceived
social
problems
that may
arise as a
consequence
of
development
and
progress".
It was
yet 20 years
ago when the
project was
conceived by
the
Torralba-Aumentado
administration.
"The UP
PLANADES
made the
initial
study
thereon,
with other
projects.
The
subsequent
Tirol-Relampagos
and
Relampagos-Chatto
administrations
pursued it
with their
acquisition
of about 65
hectares of
land with
funding from
DOTC and DOT
for the
purpose,"
the governor
said.
Its
social
acceptability
also has the
support of
the result
of the Holy
Name
University
Research
Center 2006
Bohol Poll
which found
that 99
percent of
the
Boholanos
favored the
Panglao
Airport
Development
Project.
The
defeat of
the
candidates
who opposed
the project
in the 2007
elections
where the
international
airport
project was
made a major
issue
"clearly
manifests
the
overwhelming
acceptability"
of the
international
airport
project to
the people
of Bohol,
according to
Aumentado.
"In the
2007
elections,
the
Aumentado-Herrera-Chatto-Cajes-Jala
ticket made
the Panglao
Bohol
International
Airport
Development
Project as a
major issue
in the
entire
province.
The
pro-Panglao
airport
ticket won
with a
landslide
sweeping
victory. In
fact, a
signatory
for the
appeal,
Engr. Nilo
Sarigumba,
was a poor
tail-ender
out of nine
candidates
for Board
Member in
the 3rd
District of
Bohol.
Similarly,
the then
incumbent
Panglao town
mayor
Doloreich
Dumaluan,
who openly
opposed the
project, was
resoundingly
defeated
with a
whopping
loss of over
2,000 votes-
-the biggest
in the
history of
the town,"
the governor
cited.
As a
magnet for
development,
the PBIA
would lead
to more
developments
in Panglao
island and
Bohol where,
side by side
with the
airport
construction,
the province
will
undertake
improvement
projects on
the roads
and the
causeways
"to avoid
traffic
gridlock
once the
airport will
be
operational",
the governor
assured.
He said
it will be
followed by
the
establishment
of drainage
and sewerage
system,
water and
power
development.
"It is
even
expected to
trigger the
early
implementation
of the Bohol
Circumferential
Road
Improvement
Project
Phase 3
(BCRIP 3)
which work
covers the
Panglao-Tagbilaran-Baclayon
road links
as Package 1
and the Anda
Peninsula
highways
(Guindulman-Anda-Cogtong-Candijay-Mabini-Ubay)
as Package
2. Anda will
be the next
tourism
destination
to be
developed,"
he said.
The
expected
increase of
tourist
influx will
bring "more
investments
for hotels
and resorts,
such as the
P1.2-billion
Bohol
Regency and
Convention
Center, a
sister
facility of
the Boracay
Regency
Resort and
Convention
Center, will
be
established
in Panglao.
The key
players of
the tourism
industry
such as
international
chains of
resorts and
hotels are
expected to
be not far
behind", he
explained.
The
governor
furnished
copies for
Dr. Jose
Abueva,
president of
Kalayaan
College in
Marikina
City; MIAA
General
Manager GM
Alfonso
Cusi;
Napoleon
Abueva, a
dean at
Kalayaan
College;
Professor
Caesar
Saloma of
the
University
of the
Philippines
College of
Economics;
Mons.
Feliciano
Nalzaro Jr.
of the
Immaculate
Heart of
Mary
Seminary at
Taloto
District;
Tagbilaran
City; and a
Natalio
Castillo Jr.
of Moto
Norte,
municipality
of Loon.
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