New Bacolod-Silay Airport complements super-region strategy
Silay City, Negros Occidental -- The P5.6-billion New Bacolod-Silay Airport which has been operational four days ago complements the super region strategy of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Negros Occidental, the province where the new airport of international standards is located is part of the Central Philippines which, under the super region strategy adopted by the President prioritizes tourism investments and energy independence.
"The new airport gives further emphasis to the super region strategy to promote and hasten further economic growth and development nationwide with the focus on the comparative advantages per region and provinces to promote more effective and efficient complementation in the forward-backward linkages," Vice President Noli de Castro said in his message during the inauguration of the New Bacolod-Silay Airport.
De Castro added that under the strategy, the government is committed to pursue prioritized program of airport development to trigger business. This (airport) will open a gateway to regional centers and promote major tourism destination and to make tourism promotion the primary development plot to Central Philippines.
Japanese Embassy Representative Eiichi Oshima during the inauguration revealed that based on statistics the old Bacolod Airport is the fifth biggest airport in terms of the volume of domestic passengers in the country and has continually increased by more than 50 percent in the past ten years.
Thus, according to Oshima, a bigger and more efficient airport is needed to meet this demand and the completion of the New Bacolod-Silay Airport meets the demand that will eventually increase the economic activity in the province and improve the lives of the Negrenses.
"With the new airport in Silay, it offers endless opportunities for the city but it does not mean loss for Bacolod, rather it (Bacolod) can focus on its competitive edge in commerce and business and as a highly urbanized city, it has the potential to develop the old airport into a central business area or a commercial mix-use area," de Castro added.
Meanwhile, Bacolod Lone District Representative Monico Puentevella said that a 10-kilometer access road is set to be constructed within the year. When completed, the road should connect to the Bacolod Circumferential Road cutting travel time to only 15 minutes instead of the present 45-minute travel time going to new airport.
The New Bacolod-Silay airport is an example of a project where the government is an active facilitator for other donors like Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to come in for financial assistance. (PIA/EAD)