North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco is looking forward to the opening of the Central Mindanao Airport (CMA) in the province within the next two months.

Catamco met Tuesday with stakeholders of the major project that is seen to boost economic activities in the province amid the pandemic.

While visiting the CMA site in M’lang town, Catamco said project engineers updated her on the airport’s construction works. She also inspected the airport’s fences, apron, and taxiway.

Engr. Cora Castillo of Aperon Construction told the governor that the original 120-day timeline of the program of works might not be reasonable due to weather conditions and the pandemic.

“It mostly rained during the whole month of June, which caused delays in our work,” Castillo told the governor during their Tuesday meeting.

She added that extreme weather condition is one of the circumstances that contractors face in meeting their target dates on time.

Tentatively, the airport was projected to operate by the end of July 2020.

“I want the CMA to be completed and operational the soonest possible time because it will help boost the economy of North Cotabato,” Catamco said.

Lawyer John Paul Zerrudo, provincial legal counsel, told Catamco that the documents required by the Department of Transportation are moving fast, including the payments made for the landowners.

Construction started in 2009 during the time of the then-governor and now Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Sec. Emmanuel Piñol.

Completion of the airport was delayed until Catamco pushed for the completion of the project, saying the facility would bring economic development in North Cotabato and nearby provinces. (PNA)