By: Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Mayor Pedro Zayco of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental revealed that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has secured a P90-million budget for the paving of the Kabankalan airport runway.
Zayco said he hopes that the construction of the Kabankalan airport runway and terminal will soon be completed with the allocation of more funds.
He added that the airport has attracted the interest of the national government following the possible relocation of the Dumaguete City airport in Negros Oriental.
Zayco also said an initial 217 meters of the runway, with a width of 30 meters, has already been paved using a P30-million budget.
An additional P40 million was allocated by the city government for the concreting of another 320 meters, the bidding of which will start this month, he added.
Zayco said the CAAP already awarded the P30-million contract to the winning bidder in Manila for the third concreting works.
“This is on top of the P60 million we secured from the Department of Science and Technology also earmarked for the runway,” he said.
Zayco further said that with the P120-million budget, they can complete the 1.2-kilometer runway, excluding the airport terminal.
The Kabankalan airport is being eyed as an alternate airport if the Dumaguete airport is relocated.
He said the Kabankalan airport will also boost not only the economic activity in the city but also tourism in the southern Negros, especially the city of Sipalay which is known for its beaches.
Sipalay City is only an hour away from Kabankalan by land.
