Wednesday, November 08, 2006 Cotabato airport runway repair starts By Bong Garcia
CONTINUING work to improve the runway of the Cotabato Airport in Awang, Maguindanao, will proceed as scheduled as the needed repair cost of P25 million for the second phase of the project was recently bided out.
Mindanao Super Region Development head Jesus Dureza said the repair work for the 620 meters long and 18 meters wide portion of the runway is expected to proceed this month as funding of about P25 million out of the P67 million total budget allocation for the runway improvement was recently bided out to begin the second phase implementation.
Dureza said the Air Transportation Office (ATO) in Manila is currently waiting for the release of the fund from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) so that notice to proceed could be issued to the winning contractor.
He said the immediate repair of the Cotabato Airport is among the priority directives of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Mindanao which she committed to provide its remaining fund requirement of about P42 million during the Roundtable Discussion on Mindanao Super Region last September.
The Cotabato Airport project aims to expand and improve civil aviation infrastructure and support safer operation based on international standards and practices, according to Dureza.
Its component on immediate improvement involves continuation of runway overlay and runway rejuvenation amounting to a total of P67 million from November 2006 to July 2007.
Dureza, who inspected the Cotabato Airport together with Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) Chair Virgilio Leyretana and local private and government officials in Cotabato, said the asphalt overlay for the 400 meter portion of the two-kilometer runway was already completed.
It covers Phase 1 of the runway rehabilitation project for Cotabato Airport amounting to P20 million which was implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Central Office.
Meanwhile, its component on upgrading and rehabilitation work involves upgrading and expansion of the existing airport to Aerodome Ref Code 4C in order for it to accommodate B737/A320 type of aircraft.
This component will cost about P2.49 billion with implementation period covering October 2006 to December 2009, according to Dureza.
"We are pinning hopes for future economic growth in Central Mindanao region on the completion of the Cotabato airport project and that is why we are checking on its progress just to ensure its smooth and fast implementation," he said.
"Its completion will result to improved air services which will mean greater opportunity to attract new air linkages," Dureza said.
Cotabato Airport Manager Leon Masalta Jr., Metro Cotabato Chamber of Commerce President Pete Marquez, Assistant Secretary Haron Bandila joined Dureza during the runway inspection conducted to check on status and progress of vital infrastructure projects placed under the Mindanao Super Region Strategy.
The Mindanao Super Region projects, which includes Cotabato Airport project, stands at P29.1 billion for the next three years.
Cotabato Airport serves as a strategic entry point for air passengers to Central Mindanao area.
The airport served a total of 76,691 passengers from Philippine Airlines and Seair regular flights in 2004.
