SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Some 50 trees growing around the area of the Evelio B. Javier Airport must be cut down before the airport becomes operational on Dec. 16.
Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Broderick Train, in an interview Wednesday, said that by Thursday when the weather improves, they will start cutting down the trees in Barangay Funda-Dalipe, where the airport is located.
“The trees are on private lots and the owners interposed no objection for us to cut them,” he said.
He said that the trees needed to be cut are those with the height of six meters that could block the pilot’s visibility of the airport’s landing area and could affect the communication signal.
“We already have the waiver issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for us to cut those trees,” Train said.
He further said the lot owners had also approved the cutting of their trees so long as the lumber will be retained for their own use.
Train though said that their only difficulty is that some of the trees are very near the homes that they need to be very careful that they could not cause any damage to infrastructures.
Meanwhile, Antique governor Rhodora J. Cadiao said that the Philippine Airlines (PAL) operation at the airport is already sure to start this Dec. 16, which is also timely for the Binirayan Festival.
“We are glad that PAL a reputable company has agreed to fly Antique to Clark and vice versa,” she said.
The governor also said that in fact PAL has an initial selling of tickets for P888.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), together with the PAL personnel will have their final evaluation of the airport on Nov. 29 and a simulation the following day. (PNA)
