Construction of the P56.5-million Ubay Airport Phase 1 in Barangay Camambugan is another step closer.
This after Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) said he and Director General William Hotchkiss III and Deputy Director General Rodante Joya of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) last week discussed details for incorporation into the final plan of the Ubay airport.
The original plan was only for a two-kilometer runway. But foreseeing the traffic coming in and out of the airport as development will bloom, the solon insisted on three kilometers. Of this length, 1.2 kilometers by three meters wide are already concrete.
Hotchkiss assured Aumentado that the details they discussed will be incorporated into the airport development plan. He had added that he will provide Aumentado with a copy for his guide and reference when construction starts.
Construction of Phase 1 is scheduled this year after CAAP allocated P56.5 million of its 2016 budget for the Ubay airport. Hotchkiss had shown Aumentado the finalized version of this budget for inclusion in the 2016 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
On the other hand, Joya had shown him CAAP’s 2016 Annual Procurement Plan (APP) that indicated the timeline to initiate the procurement for the improvement of the runway, construction of a terminal building and of a water reservoir project.
Aumentado used to only tag along with his namesake father and immediate congressional predecessor Erico Boyles Aumentado in breathing in the view from one end of the existing concrete runway in the latter’s dream to develop this airport.
When his father passed on, the son picked up the pieces, followed up with Hotchkiss and Joya the status of the airport – and got positive results five years after his father made the request.
Up for construction next year would be the apron, water system, fire department building and improvements to the runway. (June S. Blanco)