By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — The P6-billion projects for the development of Kalibo International Airport must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), a Transportation department official said.
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Undersecretary Julianito Bucayan Jr., who is in charge of the projects, said DOTC will present the projects to NEDA’s Investment Coordination Committee and send it to the NEDA Board for approval within the next four months.
Chaired by no less than President Benigno Aquino III, the NEDA Board is the cabinet-level social and economic development planning and policy coordinating body of the national government.
Its vice chair is NEDA director-general Arsenio Balisacan.
Once NEDA approves the projects, the bidding process can begin.
Comprising the Kalibo airport development projects are the construction of new passenger and cargo terminals and apron, and the widening and extension of runway.
New passenger terminals are expected to accommodate 2.5 million passengers annually.
The airport in Brgy. Pook here currently accommodates Cebu Pacific, Silk Air, Philippine Airlines, TigerAir, China Airlines and AirAsia.
“Mula sa magagandang kwento hanggang sa negative na reklamo ang ating natatanggap na kulang ang pasilidad ng Kalibo airport dahil sa dami ng pasahero,” DOTC Secretary Jose Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya said.
Abaya assured that the funding for the airport modernization project is not a problem.
He said the government is investing three percent of its gross domestic product to infrastructure spending this year and will increase it to four percent next year.
Abaya said this all boils down to boosting the country’s tourism industry.
“Walang dahilan [para] hindi lumago ang ating turismo kapag maganda ang pasilidad sa mga airports,” he stressed. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
