MANILA, Philippines – Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez is opposed to proposals that would transfer the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport away from the sea to avoid being hit by storm surges.
“Many airports all over the world, you look at San Francisco, you look at Hong Kong, they’re all beside the sea,” Romualdez told reporters in Tacloban.
As a plane descends over water, there is less likelihood of fog build-up, unlike on land, the mayor said, according to a transcript of the media interview held Sunday.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
His statement came less than a month before the first anniversary of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name “Haiyan”), which left thousands of people dead. Yolanda’s high death toll had been attributed to its deadly winds and storm surges, which devastated many towns, as well as the airport.
But Romualdez pointed out that other airports like that of Cagayan de Oro are inland, away from storm surges and tsunamis, but are prone to accidents and crashes because of the mountainous terrain.
“So what’s our priority? Safety of the passengers or safety of the building? I think we focus on safety of the passengers,” he said.
He added that a tsunami hit Fukushima, Japan, but its airport opened three days later.
“So it’s just building a more resilient structure. Meaning, you raise it up, ’pag may dumaan na tubig, sa ilalim dadaan. Pagkatapos ’pag tapos ng tsunami operate ka ulit sa airport. In fact, our airport here the following day was operational. Nag-landing na ang mga eroplano dito the following day,” he explained.
(So it’s just building a more resilient structure. Meaning, you raise it up so water can flow below it. And after the tsunami you are able to operate the airport again. In fact, our airport here the following day was operational. The airplanes were able to land here the following day.)
Romualdez added that it takes many years to build a new airport so it would be practical to stick with the one in Tacloban.
On Monday, President Benigno Aquino III said proposals to transfer the airport inland like in Palo or Santa Fe are already being studied by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
He said the proposals are aim to keep the airport operational and protected from storm surges.
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