Second District Board Member Tomas Abapo, Jr. urged the future operator of the newly established Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA) to prioritize Boholanos in its employment hiring process.
Abapo, who is running for vice governor, said that Boholanos should be the ones to benefit from the facility, which is located in the resort town of Panglao, should it generate more employment in the future.
“Kung kinsa man gani ang modumala ana, labi na kung dili taga Bohol, atong hangyuon nga mga Bol-anon ang mag-trabaho diha, kinahanglan man gani sila og mga janitor, mga office personnel ug unsa pay uban, hangyuon nato nga taga Bohol,” said Abapo.
Abapo aired his concern while Cebu-based conglomerate Aboitiz Group, through its infrastructure unit, Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., (AIC) is poised to operate, maintain and further develop the BPIA.
AIC in September won the coveted original proponent status (OPS) for the O&M and expansion of the facility.
However, as the OPS was granted through an unsolicited proposal, the BPIA will have to undergo a Swiss Challenge, allowing other interested firms to submit counterproposals which AIC can opt to match.
Abapo during a Sangguniang Panlalawigan regular session last month expressed concern over the turnover of the facility, noting that the SP was not informed on the plan.
The O&M of the BPIA however was originally intended to be bid out to a private group even before the facility’s completion.
Earlier, businessman Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. also submitted a proposal for the BPIA but was edged out by the Aboitiz-led firm. (A. Doydora)