The foreign funder of the billions-worth new Bohol airport on Tuesday concurred the project contract in an ultimate signal to start building the biggest-ever single infrastructure of hugely multiplier impact on the province’s economy.

Gov. Edgar Chatto expected the construction works to begin once the contractor, the Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation – Chiyoda Corporation Joint Venture MCJV), is finished inspecting the project site in Panglao on April 15.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) concurred the contract between the Philippine government, represented by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), and MCJV on March 24.

DOTC Usec. Julianito Bucayan, Jr. and Gov. Edgar Chatto jointly presided over the first implementation coordination meeting at the Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center in Pasig City immediately the following day.

The meeting was attended by Aisuke Ando, Mitsubishi manager for airports and transportation,  Rommel Bala, assistant manager for machinery/global environment and infrastructure, and Katsuyuki Yamada, Chiyoda general manager for business, among other MCJV officials, and Rep. Rene Relampagos, House of Representatives tourism committee chairman.

The EEI was represented by Antonio Pascua, executive vice president and general manager for construction, and Hans Christian Lopez, vice president for operations, infrastructure group construction.

The site inspection on April 15 will be jointly conducted by the officials of the DOTC, contractors, including the EEI Corp. which is a sub-contractor of a component of the airport project, consultants and local project management team.

The EEI was represented in the Pasig meeting by Antonio Pascua, executive vice president and general manager for construction, and Hans Christian Lopez, vice president for operations, infrastructure group construction.

A local coordination conference will be done on the same day with added attendance of Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero, Dauis Mayor Miriam Sumaylo, officials of other concerned agencies and power and water industries.

The meeting will heighten in an implementation workshop to prepare each agency for its role in ensuring harmonious and efficient execution of the project, officially called the New Bohol Airport Construction and Sustainable Environment Protection Project (NBACSEPP).

The coordination conference last week discussed the site preparation, contractor’s mobilization which includes the construction of bunkhouses, power and water supply, embankment, operational structure and other concerns.

It likewise tackled the project and component timeframes, issues and concerns that may potentially arise in the course of implementation, policy of hiring local workers, and access of construction materials to the project site.

Chatto said the airport construction contract will officially commence on April 20 until the project shall have been finished by same month in 2017.

Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II said certain hitches in sourcing filling materials for the on-going Tagbilaran City airport emergency ramp construction have been resolved.

The urgent expansion parking facility for any plane grounded for technical problem is necessary against the standing “one plane policy” while the number of air passengers keeps climbing and the Panglao airport is still constructed. (Ven rebo Arigo)