LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan demanded coordination from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) while calls to give the City Government a seat in the airport authority’s board of directors await Congress’ approval.
In an interview with SunStar Cebu on Tuesday June 6, 2023, Chan reiterated that City Hall should have a say on all the improvements, developments and security plans within Lapu-Lapu City.
“Daghan ni ang atong plano, gusto ra namo nga ang City masayud sad og unsa ilang gusto ug kami sad nila, kung unsa amu plano, since ang airport naa man sa sulod sa area sa Lapu-Lapu,” the mayor said.
(We have so many plans. We just want the City to also be informed about the plans of MCIAA, and we would also inform them of our plans, since the airport is within our city.)
Last Feb. 2, Chan expressed his intent to sit as one of the members of MCIAA’s board of directors, which is not possible because the law that created the authority would have to be amended.
Last May, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 7798, which amends Section 6 of Republic Act 6958, or the “Charter of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.”
HB 7798, though, has yet to be approved by the Senate and the President.
The bill was authored by Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Rep. Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan, who sought to increase the number of board members.
The Lapu-Lapu City Government first asked for a seat in the MCIAA Board after it became a highly urbanized city in 2007.
Congress created the MCIAA on July 31, 1990 under RA 6958 to “undertake the economical, efficient and effective control, management and supervision of the Mactan International Airport in the Province of Cebu,” the country’s second busiest airport.