CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is planning to purchase the land near the airport on Bantayan Island to extend the runway and accommodate commercial flights.

This was disclosed by the governor during a meeting with the officials of the different airline companies, on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.

Once the project is completed, commercial aircraft from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City may be able to land at the Bantayan airport.

The island’s airport currently has a 1.2-kilometer runway; however, to handle commercial flights, this needs to be extended to 1.5 or 1.8 kilometers. As of now, Bantayan Airport is only catering to chartered flights.

The governor said the Capitol would no longer wait for funding from the National Government due to the growing number of domestic and foreign visitors coming to the area to enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches.

“We cannot wait for the National Government to fund us, and I want this to be happening already because Bantayan is ripe for tourist arrivals. It’s so difficult to get there for hours,” Garcia said through Capitol’s online news portal, Sugbo News.

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office has been instructed by the governor to assess the areas surrounding the airport that they plan to purchase for the runway expansion project, according to the Capitol Information Office.

The Capitol also plans to undertake developments in its capacity, such as the construction of a fire terminal inside the facility, the expansion of terminal capacity from about 40 to 100 passengers, and the construction and installation of a fuel depot, among others.

Last July 11, Julius Neri, general manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), proposed the Bantayan airport’s expansion to the governor.

Garcia welcomed the proposal and pledged support in acquiring the properties in the airport’s vicinity.

Currently, it takes four hours to travel by land from Cebu City to Bantayan Island. / TPT