Almost one year ago, three more airports were proposed to be constructed in Cebu. This year, the initials steps are slowly taking progress. If everything will follow through, Cebu will now have a total of four airports including the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. Aside from the community airports in the quaint towns of Bantayan and Medellin, another one will also be built in the Island of Camotes.
Airport in Camotes Island
The MCIA and Cebu Provincial Government are working together in this partnership to develop the Camotes airport. Preliminaries were already done in the Island of Camotes after the officials did an ocular inspection last year – which was attended by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and MCIA Authority General Manager Steve Dicdican and GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. President Louie Ferrer.
According to Dicdican, MCIA plans to transform the 1.8-kilometer Camotes Airstrip in Barangay Northern Poblacion in San Francisco town into a community airport following the success of Bantayan. They are looking at the possibility of eventually transforming this community airport into a commercial airport in the future.
Cebu Governor Garcia also sees this development as an opportunity to make the economy and tourism of the island progress even more. She shared that an airport in a specific area is one of the deciding factors of many investors. She added that she will sit down with the representatives from the MCIAA and the GMRMCA to determine the parameters of the prospective partnership for the Camotes airport.
Nonetheless, Garcia also emphasized that whatever development is made, it should be accompanied with sustainable environmental practices as well. She has been urging the local government units of Pilar, Poro, San Francisco and Tudela to forge their master plans and the Comprehensive Land Use Programs (CLUPs) for this matter.
Proposed Site for Community Airport in Medellin
Aside from the ocular visit in Camotes, Dicdican and a team from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines also made an ocular inspection at the proposed site of another community airport in Cebu in Medellin. This airport is said to be constructed in Barangay Caputatan Sur and is expected to spur growth in the town and other neighboring areas.
Last August 7, the Municipal Government of Medellin announced over their social media that experts and government officials are already finalizing the runway component of the airport – which construction will begin in 2021. The bidding was completed earlier this year and has been scheduled already for implementation. A budget of Php100 million has been allocated for the civil work of this airport.
Aside from the airport, it was also disclosed that an aviation school will also be put up within the airport property – which has been budgeted with another Php12 million.
Extension of Bantayan Airport
Last August 7, Dicdican also inspected the status of the ongoing construction at the Bantayan Airport. Despite the pandemic, it has been undertaking extension and completion of partially concreted runway and putting up of perimeter fence. According to the MCIAA General Manager, the entire length of the runway is almost fully excavated except for patches of areas with hard rock. One of the segments is completely concreted already. The two (2) other segments will be completed in 2 months’ time.
This project is expected to be fully completed by the end of the year and the 1.2-kilometer runway will be ready for full utilization. “We plan to finish everything by November, so we can have a December inauguration.” GM Dicdican added.
