The city government is set to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the transfer of an additional PHP200 million for the new Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA) project.

Dalipe said Monday that the additional PHP200 million will be used for ZIA’s site acquisition and construction of a temporary perimeter fence along the boundaries of the airport strip project.

Dalipe said the additional funding was obtained through the efforts of his elder brother, 2nd District Representative Manuel Jose Dalipe.

Earlier, the DOTr released to the city government through the Land Bank of the Philippines the amount of PHP180 million from the first airport project funding.

Meanwhile, some 1,650 residents are subject to relocation as they have been staying within the proposed airport area in Barangays Mercedes, Talabaan, and Zambowood, located east of this city.

Dalipe said this was the result of the tagging and census validation (TCV) conducted by the Housing Land Management Division (HLMD) on the affected persons, families, and households, who are currently residing in the proposed airport area.

Rodrigo Pagotaisidro, HLMD chief, said they are currently formulating of the Boalan Resettlement Action Plan based on the data they gathered during the conduct of the actual TCV.

Pagotaisidro said they have identified the 268,777 square-meter Sta. Lucia Property in Barangay Boalan to relocate the families, including a school, that will be affected by the airport project. (PNA)