Local officials here have welcomed the directive of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to fast-track the construction of the new Tacloban Airport terminal building.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said Wednesday the order to rush the completion of the airport terminal should have been done earlier and not during the rainy season, but still, he was thankful to the national government that after many years of waiting, the much-needed improvement is ongoing.
“This is very welcome to us since we have been waiting to see this happen for several years,” Romualdez said.
Being the gateway to Eastern Visayas, the completion of the new terminal building will help not only residents of Tacloban and Leyte but five other provinces in the region, he said.
Tacloban City Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin shared that since 1998, plans to develop and improve the regional airport have been laid down but were not realized.
“With the news, this really makes us very happy. I long to see the new terminal since it will spur a lot of travel. The tourism, transport will really benefit in that new airport,” Yaokasin said.
He noted that in 2017, the Tacloban Airport was the eighth busiest in the country, ranking third in terms of rising passenger volume.
Yaokasin added that because residents affected by the improvement now have houses for relocation, there would be a smooth implementation of ground and construction work for the airport.
The houses, funded by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for displaced families who settled near the airport, have been completed and are ready for occupancy.
Of the 498 families who were displaced, 292 have availed of the housing projects by the National Housing Authority and non-government organizations meant for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda while the rest will benefit from the housing project of CAAP.
Meanwhile, Department of Tourism 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said the order to fast-track the airport improvement was “one of the most awaited news by many in the tourism industry.”
“Upgrading the airport terminal building and its facilities to international standards is but fitting for our regional gateway that provides air connecting between Eastern Visayas and other metropolitan areas in the country,” Tiopes said.
She noted that before the pandemic, the Tacloban Airport was already one of the busiest airports in the country and on the Top 10 list.
“The airport was the only one (on) the top list not classified as (an) international airport. And yet, we drew in a significant volume of passengers,” Tiopes said.
Aside from the construction of the new terminal building, part of the improvement is extending the 2,100-meter runway to 2,500 meters.
The upgrade will enable the airport to accommodate bigger aircraft, and offer more flights and more convenient facilities and services to the traveling public, she said.
“This will open more windows of opportunities for Eastern Visayas, in as far as connectivity is concerned. And in tourism, access and connectivity to and from a destination is a competitive advantage. Once completed, we can now pitch for the opening of new routes, including international flights. A big boost to EV (Eastern Visayas) tourism indeed,” Tiopes added.
In a meeting here on November 28, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade asked the project contractor to reduce the construction timeline of the new passenger terminal building from 540 days or 18 months to 270 days or nine months, which means it will only become operational by the second quarter of 2022.
Tugade wanted to implement a 24/7 work schedule. (PNA)
