P5 B island airport to benefit Boracay
MALAY, Aklan -- The construction of the P5-billion Carabao Island Airport, starting October, is expected to serve hundreds of thousands of local and foreign tourists visiting the world famous Boracay island and nearby areas yearly.
The construction of the airport, a private sector initiative, will be completed by 2010.
Steve Tajanlangit, vice chairman of the Boracay Property Holdings, Inc., the main proponent of the project, expressed confidence that the airport will further hasten the growth of tourism on Boracay- Carabao Island corridor.
Tajanlangit stressed that the airport will also generate thousands of employment and spur economic growth and activities not only on Boracay island, but also the entire municipality of San Jose, Romblon, where the Carabao Island is located.
He said his group has already secured a guarantee line from the Phil Exim Bank which shows that the private sector can work hand in hand with the government, especially in the development of tourist destinations.
Once completed, the airport will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that can accommodate even big aircraft doing international flights in contrast to the Caticlan Airport which can only host small planes.
Among the highly reputable and world-class firms that have expressed interest and offered expertise and financial resources to the project is Sellex Sistemo Integrated of Italy. Sellex, which supplies airside equipment, is the main firm of the comglomerate Finmeccanica owned by the Italian government.
Tajanlangit's group is also seriously considering Changi International of Singapore, which is consistently rated as the world's best airport operator, to be the airport manager.
Construction management will likely be handled by an American firm with proven expertise in building airports and support facilities for the US Defense Department.
Tajanlangit said the government's guarantee company has already approved credit clearance for the project, while the Air Transportation Office under the Department of Transportation and Communications has already given its condition locational clearance.