Living up to its status as the richest province in the country, the Provincial Government of Cebu will be funding the expansion of Bantayan Island Airport.
This was announced by Gov. Gwen Garcia during a meeting with airline executives in line with the Capitol’s plan to allow commercial flights in Bantayan Island Airport in order to attract more tourists.
The airport, located in the Municipality of Santa Fe, has a runway length of 1,200 meters at present. It is operated by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) on a lot owned by Cebu Province.
She said the provincial government will no longer wait for funding from the national government through the MCIAA; but would instead undertake developments in its own capacity, like 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 fuel depot, among various others.
“It’s time that Bantayan be given a shot in the arm,” Gov. Gwen said. “That’s a beautiful, beautiful island, ripe for tourism and investments.”
Capitol sought a dialogue with Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific executives on Tuesday, Dec., so it would know what needs to be done so they can set up direct routes to the place.
Michael Ivan Shau, chief corporate officer of Cebu Pacific; and Victor Suarez, airline manager of Philippine Airlines, both agreed that for their smaller planes to land the area, they would need a runway that has a length of at least 1,500 meters.
Gov. Garcia said the Capitol is actually looking to acquire contiguous properties so that it could extend the runway not just to 1,500 meters but even as much as double that figure, or 3,000 meters.
“I am building for the future,” Gov. Gwen told the airline executives.” “It’s not just for now.”
Bantayan Island is home to Cebu’s most famous white sand beaches in Santa Fe, as well as the abundant harvest of sea products from Bantayan and Madridejos — making the place a perfect getaway for both locals and foreign tourists alike.
As of the moment, travelers to Bantayan would have to navigate at least four hours of bus ride from Cebu City, as well as one-and-a-half hour of sea travel through ferry. This will be significantly reduced through plane travel.
With an expanded airport, the Capitol sees a massive influx of tourists to this famous island destination north of Cebu, even as it now attracts over 6,000 tourists on long weekends and over 3,000 tourists on weekdays, according to tourism officer Marti Ybañez.
MCIAA general manager Julius Neri, Jr. also attended the meeting. | IPA