P-Noy favors upgrade of Bohol airport

Tagbilaran, Bohol — Studies on ways to provide this province with an international-grade airport are ongoing but President Aquino appears to be favoring the expansion of the existing Tagbilaran Airport rather than building a new one on the resort island of Panglao, whose natural environment should be taken into consideration.

Aquino flew here yesterday to be briefed on a proposed new airport for the province. He also attended a meeting with the regional peace and order council of Central Visayas and the inauguration of a new municipal hall in Trinidad town.

“The (Japanese agency) JICA study would be finished by around October. Around that time, there will also be our study if it’s better to have an expansion in Tagbilaran or if we would push through with (an international airport in) Panglao,” Aquino said.

“The bottomline (is) how can we hasten the availability of the infrastructure to improve the economy of Bohol and its nearby areas,” he added.

Bohol boasts of a good number of tourist spots and is perceived that tourist arrivals is only being hampered by an airport that couldn’t serve large aircraft.

Aside from the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers, Bohol also has Panglao Island that boasts of white-sand beaches that could rival those of world-renowned Boracay in Aklan.

“The only issue here is that Tagbilaran is already a 1.8-km runway. To service the aircraft of the regional carriers, it will need 2.5 km. So the expansion of Tagbilaran will … necessitate only 700 meters as opposed to building a 2.5-km runway for Panglao,” Aquino said.

“So it’s automatic. It seems faster to build 700 (meters) than 2.5 (kilometers),” he added.

The President said there are also environmental and safety issues of building an airport on Panglao. In contrast, he said Tagbilaran has already proven that it could handle the effects of having an airport for years now.

“There are many issues in Panglao. Environmentalists ask if the limestone subsoil could support (an airport). There are studies done that show it could. The Tagbilaran airport has long been there. It has no such issues,” Aquino said.

“It seems the assumption that (the Tagbilaran airport) is okay has already been proven,” he added.

Aquino also raised the effects of maintaining an airport on the environment “that is the source of the attraction of Panglao.”

“There will be pressures when you have an airport and related facilities. I will repeat. There will be waste disposal, solid waste or liquid waste that might impact negatively,” the President said.

Aquino said he wants to make sure which would be the most practical way to spend on a needed infrastructure because of the billions that would be involved.

“So before we spend that, let’s make sure that this will be the best,” President Aquino said. /INQUIRER