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By ANGELINE VALENCIA/PGMA

AUMENTADO

"Don't rock the boat." An appeal for progress sounds like this for Governor Erico Aumentado as he reiterated the merits of the eyed P4.2-billion Panglao-Bohol International Airport Development Project. The governor contained it in a paid ad published Sunday in major newspapers in the province, the same vehicle that economics professor Dr. Ernesto Pernia used in raising issues against the project. Describing the multi-billion-peso project as a golden opportunity Boholanos shouldn't miss, the governor made an

Aumentado hinted that though it was not necessary to entertain the unsigned paid ad entitled "An Appeal for Clarification on the Proposed Panglao Airport" published on May 4 issue of The Bohol Chronicle, he really came up with a reply and made it known to public through a paid ad containing his letter to Pernia dated May 30, 2008. It is to show his respect for Pernia "as a man of stature and a fellow Boholano.

In the paid ad entitled, "An Appeal for Progress", Aumentado expressed lament that the opposition to the airport project led by Dr. Pernia only came "at a time when it is in the process of implementation.

There had been consultations made in the past and it has been in the newspapers for a while already, yet the group of Pernia only came about half a month before its groundbreaking where the President herself led the time capsule-laying ceremony, according to the governor.

In fact, environmental impact assessment (EIA) study, generating a series of consultations and meetings in the municipality of Panglao, was already done as a pre-requisite for the issuance of the environmental clearance certificate (ECC) by DENR-EMB for the project.

Social preparations have already been in place with the Center for Integrated Development and Social Marketing, Inc. presently attending to some concerns.

The preparations for the project already reached that far, but "parenthetically, no one from the alleged signatories of your May 4 appeal came out to oppose the PBIA during the series of consultations on environment and social preparations," Aumentado told Pernia.

Moreover, the NEDA Board and the Cabinet Group had already approved the international airport project, he said.

Though it has been repeatedly mentioned in news items for a period of time already and announced over the weekly radio program, Governor's Report, Aumentado exerted effort to send it straight from the provincial chief executive's end that the project is much needed; that the P4.2-billion project will be implemented without any loan; that it is economically viable based on feasibility studies; its site has been found to be the most conducive; that it complied the requirements of the environment department; its social acceptability has been established; and that without doubt, it will be a "magnet of development".

Aumentado explained that the multi-billion-peso project "will be the only international airport to be constructed by the national government without any Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan" as assured by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

"The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will provide P3 billion from its corporate funds, and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) the balance of P1.2 billion from its appropriation, which cover also the land acquisition of about 211.5 hectares for the project and other pre-construction expenditures," the governor stated in the letter.

Aumentado cited the feasibility study that TCGI Engineers conducted and validated by the Regional Development Council and NEDA Region 7, that "the airport has an economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of 23.6 percent", even higher than the NEDA threshold of 15 percent.

It is based on the projected capacity of the airport, when harnessed in full, to accommodate "chartered flights of tourists from foreign lands in addition to regular domestic, regional and international flights", the existing Tagbilaran Airport has six flights- -three each by PAL and Cebu Pacific, "despite its area limitation and natural risks".

The original plan was to have a domestic airport with international standards that will be constructed in two phases wherein Phase 1 will include a runway of 2.5 kilometers with the necessary facilities as Package 1, and Package 2 will include a terminal building with the attached facilities, Aumentado explained.

Phase 2 will follow later to include the construction of a one-kilometer extension of the runway and a much larger terminal building and cargo area to accommodate bigger aircrafts such as the Airbus 340, Boeing 747 and Airbus 380.

"The airport's classification has been elevated to international by the Medium Term Development Plan drafted by NEDA during the watch of then Director-General Romulo L. Neri and approved by the NEDA Board and Cabinet," the governor said.

On the other hand, the Swedish Aviation Authority as commissioned by DOTC, and the European Union consultants by the Department of Tourism conducted a series of studies which led to Panglao as the most preferred and appropriate site for the project, traversing through barangays Lourdes, Bolod, and Danao.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), formerly Air Transportation Office, had it that the eyed Panglao airport will serve as complementary to the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

This, as Panglao will be the nearest international airport to MCIA.

"Contrary to your claim in media, with due respect, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro airports are not international airports. In fact, they are classified by CAAP as domestic airports and there is no international flight therein. Thus, they cannot complement the requirements in times of emergency situation of the MCIA," the governor explained.

Moreover, Panglao's land area of 9,825 hectares proved bigger than Mactan Island's 7,385 hectares. Of Panglao's land mass, the area of 211.5 hectares where the international airport will be constructed is just about 2.15 percent.

Being a stand alone tourism destination in the global roadmap as President Arroyo and the DOT considered Bohol, an international airport in the province becomes necessary.

It is also in consideration that its eco-cultural heritage endowments and agri-tourism potentials made Bohol "a major player in the development of the Central Philippines Super Region tourism industry", the governor added.

He also said upgrading the existing Tagbilaran Airport will cost more- - P6.522-billion.

That is aside from the limited airport space to accommodate improvements and the Maribojoc mountain range nearby that pose danger to flights.

Recently, the cancelled visit of King Mswati III of Swaziland due to the limitations of the Tagbilaran Airport only meant "the need called to hasten the PBIA construction and operation as well," according to the governor.

He also mentioned Bohol's strategic location for "PBIA to be the entry point of tourists to Dumaguete City, Siquijor, Dipolog and Camiguin, given the fast ferries linking presently the province to these neighboring areas".

The social preparations aspect of the project even "led to the organization into a cooperative of the airport landowners and the laying of the fundamentals of mitigating measures for some perceived social problems that may arise as a consequence of development and progress".

It was yet 20 years ago when the project was conceived by the Torralba-Aumentado administration.

"The UP PLANADES made the initial study thereon, with other projects. The subsequent Tirol-Relampagos and Relampagos-Chatto administrations pursued it with their acquisition of about 65 hectares of land with funding from DOTC and DOT for the purpose," the governor said.

Its social acceptability also has the support of the result of the Holy Name University Research Center 2006 Bohol Poll which found that 99 percent of the Boholanos favored the Panglao Airport Development Project.

The defeat of the candidates who opposed the project in the 2007 elections where the international airport project was made a major issue "clearly manifests the overwhelming acceptability" of the international airport project to the people of Bohol, according to Aumentado.

"In the 2007 elections, the Aumentado-Herrera-Chatto-Cajes-Jala ticket made the Panglao Bohol International Airport Development Project as a major issue in the entire province. The pro-Panglao airport ticket won with a landslide sweeping victory. In fact, a signatory for the appeal, Engr. Nilo Sarigumba, was a poor tail-ender out of nine candidates for Board Member in the 3rd District of Bohol. Similarly, the then incumbent Panglao town mayor Doloreich Dumaluan, who openly opposed the project, was resoundingly defeated with a whopping loss of over 2,000 votes- -the biggest in the history of the town," the governor cited.

As a magnet for development, the PBIA would lead to more developments in Panglao island and Bohol where, side by side with the airport construction, the province will undertake improvement projects on the roads and the causeways "to avoid traffic gridlock once the airport will be operational", the governor assured.

He said it will be followed by the establishment of drainage and sewerage system, water and power development.

"It is even expected to trigger the early implementation of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phase 3 (BCRIP 3) which work covers the Panglao-Tagbilaran-Baclayon road links as Package 1 and the Anda Peninsula highways (Guindulman-Anda-Cogtong-Candijay-Mabini-Ubay) as Package 2. Anda will be the next tourism destination to be developed," he said.

The expected increase of tourist influx will bring "more investments for hotels and resorts, such as the P1.2-billion Bohol Regency and Convention Center, a sister facility of the Boracay Regency Resort and Convention Center, will be established in Panglao. The key players of the tourism industry such as international chains of resorts and hotels are expected to be not far behind", he explained.

The governor furnished copies for Dr. Jose Abueva, president of Kalayaan College in Marikina City; MIAA General Manager GM Alfonso Cusi; Napoleon Abueva, a dean at Kalayaan College; Professor Caesar Saloma of the University of the Philippines College of Economics; Mons. Feliciano Nalzaro Jr. of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary at Taloto District; Tagbilaran City; and a Natalio Castillo Jr. of Moto Norte, municipality of Loon.