Int’l airport in Pangasinan is ‘necessary’

An umbrella group of 33 farmers and agriculture associations nationwide has defended a proposal to build an international airport in Pangasinan province as “not only feasible, but necessary.”

“What the people of Pangasinan want is to have an international airport in the central area of Pangasinan, making it nearer to neighboring provinces such as La Union and Baguio, and a domestic airport in Alaminos,” said Rosendo So, head of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, in a statement.

He said to describe the proposal, made by Sen. Grace Poe during a visit to Pangasinan, as not feasible is to ignore cases of successful multiple international airport projects in areas smaller than the island of Luzon.

“If you compare, for example, Luzon to Taiwan, which is roughly only a third in size, Taiwan has six international airports and 13 domestic airports,” said So.

So said there is a sizable population in northern and Central Luzon who would benefit from the proposed international airport.

During a recent visit to Pangasinan, Poe said the lack of airports in Pangasinan could be part of the reason for the province’s low share of tourists.

An international airport in Alaminos City was started in 2010 but the Aquino administration did not list it as a priority project.

Alaminos City Mayor Arturo Celeste said he did not mind if an international airport is built elsewhere, though.