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Saturday, October 23, 2004
Arroyo delays work on Laguindingan airport
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
PRESIDENT Arroyo through the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has moved the schedule of civil works for the Laguindingan International Airport to 2008 due to budget constraints.
This came even as the Sec. Luis Lorenzo Jr., chairman of the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development (Cord-10), also somehow confirmed Friday this delay in the implementation of the project.
In a letter addressed to the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., DOTC assistant secretary for planning and project development Robert Castañares said Arroyo cannot as yet mandate the immediate implementation of the US $107 million Laguindingan project.
He nevertheless said, at present, site acquisitions are continuing and perimeter fencing is almost 60 percent completed.
Castañares said financial negotiations for Consultancy Services have been finalized and the "decision to revise the Scope of Work to include Assistance to Bidding and Construction Supervision is about to be rendered."
"However, this is dependent on the availability of the appropriation cover for civil works which is not within prescribed budget ceiling for CY 2005 up to CY 2007. Thus, DOTC programmed the amount needed for civil works starting CY 2008 and onwards," his letter reads.
Lorenzo for his part said the project would be delayed but that it would continue.
Earlier, Mayor Vicente Emano said the Laguindingan International Airport project is practically doomed as the budget allocated for it was transferred to the development of Iloilo's airport.
He said this as he expressed how this transfer of funds could be due to how Arroyo is trying to pay for her political debts as she won by a huge margin in Iloilo while lost here in Cagayan de Oro city and in Misamis Oriental.
Meanwhile, Castañares said his letter was in lieu of how the Oro Chamber through its President Arturo Sanvictores has written the President Arroyo last July 26 and this was referred to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications through a Memorandum and a handwritten letter of Atty. Erlinda de Leeon and Vicky Garchitorena respectively.
The letter and the accompanying resolution were requesting the President to mandate and intervene for the immediate implementation of the Laguindingan Airport Development Project (LADP).
The Provincial Board of Misamis Oriental has also passed a resolution asking the President to release the counterpart funds needed to start the construction of the Laguindingan International Airport.
(October 23, 2004 issue)
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