DOTr assures Negrenses Bacong Airport project to push through

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Arthur Tugade assured the Negrenses that the Bacong Airport project will push through in a media interview on March 11 during the inauguration of the newly-renovated Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport in Sibulan town and the newly-constructed Port Operations Building of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) inside the Dumaguete Seaport with President Duterte and other national/local officials.

 “Matutuloy po. Ang ang ginagawa ngayon ay iyong tinatawag na feasibility study at plano upang magkaroon ng paliparan. Iyong mga gawain kung saan inaayos ang ownership, iyong pag-acquire ng lote ay ginagawa. Hangarin po ng ating Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) sa pamumuno ni Jim Sydiongco na sa darating na taon ay ma-ground break yan,” Tugade answered media query on the status of the project.

It was reported locally last year that the proposed Bacong Airport project was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the funds which were intended for the construction were diverted for COVID-19 response.

Tugade however highlighted the improvements projects at the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport. He added that overall renovation of the airport costs P258-Million that included the expansion of the existing passenger terminal and administrative building of CAAP, re-blocking of apron, overlaying of asphalt on the runway and shoulder grade correction, and construction of two taxiways.

Tugade also clarified that infrastructure development projects will not just focus in Luzon but will be implemented in the Visayas and Mindanao as well.  If there are projects in Central Luzon there are also projects in the Visayas and Mindanao. If there are new ports being developed in Luzon, there are also ports being developed here. The PPA has over 300 port development projects and a big chunk of it is in the Visayas and Mindanao area, he added. (Photos: PIA-NegOr)