MikeLigalig.com

By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency

Filled with conviction, Governor Erico Aumentado believes Panglao International Airport moves from the drawing boards to reality just as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo promised to complete the Super Regions as her Administration’s legacy before her term ends.

This is despite the rantings of former Gov. Victor dela Serna who openly aired his skepticism of the realization of the project during the Alarma, a Bohol Tri-Media Association sponsored forum.

In her SONA, the President laid out her vision of the country, which is one that keeps pace with modernization after 20 years. She then urged the Congress, which opened its sessions Monday to help her put the mechanism in place.

The President hinted that laying out the ground works would need investments in physical, intellectual, legal and security infrastructure to increase business confidence and investments in a stronger and wider social safety net, all to guarantee an ambitious one million jobs a year. She also talked about investments in peace; crushing terrorism and putting a stop to human rights abuses.

In Bohol and in the Visayas where the President wished to transform into a key tourism region, she updated the Filipinos about the local initiatives to pursue the planned airport in destination island Panglao during her SONA.

“The local government [in Bohol] has acquired 85 percent of the land for the international airport on Panglao Island,” she said.

The P2.87B airport project brings tourists directly to the world fame beaches in Panglao and about two hours away from the crown of Bohol countryside destination: the Chocolate Hills.

The Department of Transportation and Communication has earlier earmarked at least P3B as per order of the President, DOTC secretary Leandro Mendoza confirmed to the governor last year.

The P3 billion will be for the civil works for the airport which is set for completion in September 2009,” Aumentado then said.

Earlier, the DOTC released P125 million for the land acquisition for the runway and for social preparation for which the provincial government also released P40,000. 

This week, reports leaked from the capitol again confirmed that a DOTC bigwig is arriving Monday to personally handcarry P70M worth of checks for the land acquisition of the airport, which was designed to include a 3.5 kilometer runway, an air control tower, cluster of administration buildings, ample parking areas from planes and commuter parking space. (rachiu/PIA)



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