Saturday, November 11, 2006 'International airport project goes on' By Lizanilla J. Amarga
MISAMIS Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno Friday debunked reports that the construction of the US $107 million Laguindingan International Airport will be further delayed due to lack of funds.
Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano has disclosed that the construction of this already long-delayed airport will again be placed at the backburner due to lack of funds.
But Moreno said he has not received any report from the representatives of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on the airport project hitting a snag anew particularly in terms of funding.
"The revenues of the National Government for the Laguindingan Airport is flowing, " he said. "Naa man ang pundo (The funds are there)."
Moreno told Sun.Star that the Laguindingan International Airport project is a "flagship project" of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and that the latter will not just easily abandon the same.
He said the multi-partite taskforce assigned to look into the purchase and development of the airport site is even meeting at least once every two weeks and have been consistent in submitting reports on the grounds it has gained.
"We are even on schedule and proceeding well," he said.
Over a local radio station, Emano earlier said he recently met with President Arroyo's presidential assistant for Mindanao lawyer Jesus Dureza when he came back from his trade mission to Australia and New Zealand.
He said Dureza told him that the construction of the US $107 million Laguindingan International Airport at Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental will be delayed further.
"Dureza told me that the construction of the Laguindingan International Airport will not as yet commenced due to lack of funds," said Emano.
The early construction of the international airport would have further boosted the chances of enticing major foreign investors who are already eyeing Cagayan de Oro City and the Province of Misamis Oriental as their next potential venue where they can pour in their investment.
Early this year, no less than President Arroyo came over for the formal inauguration and groundbreaking of the Laguindingan International Airport.
The President vowed for the immediate release of the funds for this project and has signed an executive order to this effect.
DOTC representatives, Moreno, Second District of Misamis Oriental Congressman Augusto Baculio and Jr., Laguindingan Mayor Orville Abellanosa among others already signed a memorandum of agreement for the purchase of the land area and development of the same in relation to this project.
Emano said he is surprised with this latest report from Dureza considering that he himself also helped out in convincing the South Korean government to finance this project through their Export-Import Bank.
