Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Tourism advocates want air strip
THE construction of a P30-million air strip in Agujo, Daanbantayan, Cebu is seen to spur tourism activities in northern Cebu.
Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, fourth district) said it will be one of his priority projects for the district.
In an interview with reporters Sunday, Salimbangon said the facility will be a magnet for hotel-resort investors and will help increase tourist arrivals in the northern part of the province.
Salimbangon said the local government unit (LGU) is negotiating with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to draft a master plan for tourism development in northern Cebu.
Improving the accessibility of the area through air travel is one of the initial steps that will help realize the plan.
He said the land requirement for the planned air strip will be about 15 hectares and the local government has been eyeing potential areas in the municipality.
He added, though, that the air strip does not necessarily have to be of “first-class quality.” One that could accommodate 12-seater to 16-seater airplanes or chartered flights will be good enough.
With the proposed air strip in place, travel time to Daanbantayan from Metro Cebu will be reduced to only 15 minutes from the usual three-hour land trip, Salimbangon said.
He added that while the Cebu Transaxial Development Project that connects the northern part of the province to Metro Cebu is “good,” some tourists will opt to further decrease travel time.
Alternate
“It is important to put up an air strip in Daanbantayan to provide a facility to bring in more tourists. This will connect with the plans of President Gloria Arroyo to make Daanbantayan an alternate tourist destination,” he said.
The funding for the air strip will be sourced from the DOT, Department of Transportation and Communication, the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Provincial Government’s coffers, the congressman added.
Upon the completion of the master plan, which may be ready by the first quarter of next year, Salimbangon said the LGU, together with tourism stakeholders, will begin to draw priority programs for implementation.
The project in Daanbantayan is seen to spur economic activities in the 16 islets, including Malapascua, in the north.
“It is most deprived. They don’t know they are sitting on a gold mine,” Salimbangon said, referring to the undeveloped but islets with “high-potential” as tourist spots.
“Daanbantayan is the gateway to the development of these islets,” he said, adding that the accessibility to these islets will bring in more investors to the local communities.
Salimbangon also revealed that the roll-on roll-off port in Maya, Daan-bantayan will see the maiden voyage of a sea carrier, which will bring tourist buses from Manila to the town by April 2008.
Investors
But Salimbangon believes the establishment of the air strip will entice bigger tourism players, like investors of hotel resorts, to set up facilities in the north.
The congressman said the LGUs have been receiving inquiries from investors who want to set up cultural-type resorts.
Earlier, MSY Holdings Corp. (MSYHC), the holding company of the Salimbangon-Yeung business ventures, began constructing Kandaya in Daan-bantayan, which is envisioned to be a five-star or six-star boutique hotel.
Kandaya, described to be a “fully exclusive” boutique hotel, will rise on a 12-hectare property of the Yeung family in the northern town.
MSYHC chief operating officer Martin Yeung said the construction of the hotel started over a year ago. The company’s initial investment was estimated at P500 million.
The first phase of the development includes the construction of a two-story building with 18 rooms. (MMM)
