Review Camotes, Bantayan airport projects — Davide

Will Cebu province continue the airport projects in Camotes and Bantayan islands?

It’s up to Gov. Hilario Davide III to decide said Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete who met him at the Capitol with heads of agencies under the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).

Villarete said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) declared it would no longer operate the two facilities.

“I got word from CAAP that they will not operate them anymore. That’s why we’re asking for direction from the governor on whether we will continue operating it or not,” Villarete said.

The airstrips were opened during the term of Gov. Emilio Osmeña in the 1990s and further developed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia but land acquisition problems stalled their completion.

Governor Davide asked Villarete to make a feasibility study so a decision can be made and present it in the next board meeting of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) on Friday.

The Cebu governor is a member of the board, which is presided by the DOTC Secretary.

Davide said the contractor of the airport projects, which are seen as key in promoting tourism in far north Cebu, was already demanding payment from the Capitol for its work.

But before the Capitol releases any payment, the provincial legal officer Orvi Ortega and provincial administrator Mark Tolentino will inspect the projects, Davide said.

The two airports were originally included in the annual investment plan of Cebu province under the Garcia administration.

In 2012, the Capitol allotted P25 million for each airport. The facility was supposed to be completed in the first half of this year.

The airport projects in Bantayan and Camotes were seen to boost the province’s tourism by providing easier access to Cebu’s two most popular beach attractions.