Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – Aklan officials and tourism stakeholders have welcomed the proposed expansion and improvement of the Caticlan airport, the nearest gateway to the world-famous Boracay island resort, to accommodate bigger and more planes.
In a press statement, Representative Florencio Miraflores said the project would solve the problem of accessibility of Boracay to tourists, most of who pass through the airport of Kalibo, the provincial capital, and travel for one-and-a-half hours to get to Caticlan.
Caticlan airport’s obsolete facilities and short runway allow the landing of only small airplanes.
Governor Carlito Marquez said the lack of world-class transport had hindered the full development of the country’s tourism industry.
Special attention
The governor has prioritized tourism as Aklan’s development thrust, the statement said. Boracay, as one of the major tourist destinations in the Philippines, should be given special attention by the national government, it said.
He said the drawing power of Boracay had already been proven for many years and should take precedence in “the use of scant resources for tourism development.”
Fast-track project
The two Aklan leaders said they would seek the help of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in “fast-tracking” the Caticlan airport project. They belied reports that local officials here were against the implementation of the project, the statement said.
The expansion and improvement of the airport will be undertaken with the highest consideration for passenger safety and environmental protection, the statement said.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Commercial flights to Guiuan expected
By Vicente Labro
Inquirer Visayas
TACLOBAN CITY – The opening of an airport in historic Guiuan town in Eastern Samar, to commercial flights and the completion of other infrastructure projects will attract more tourists and investors on Calicoan Island, officials said.
Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan said commercial flights would start next month after the completion of the P155-million Guiuan Airport Development Project.
In an interview on Sunday, Kwan said that she had talked with Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air officials about her request for flights to and from Guiuan.
Cebu Pacific promised to start flights in November, she said, while the PAL manager in Tacloban had “endorsed favorably” the plan to the airline’s head offices in Manila.
The project included a new apron and taxiway, a passenger terminal building, a fire department building and perimeter fence, as well as the installation of a single-phase electrical line and asphalt overlay of the runway, Kwan said.
The mayor also disclosed that the P38-million water system project in Calicoan Island had already been completed. “In the past, many investors in Calicoan had backed out because of lack of potable water,” she said.
Potable water will be supplied to seven of the town’s villages, including four in Calicoan – Pagnamitan, Baras, Ngolos, and Sulangan.
Kwan said two major telecommunication companies had also put up towers in Calicoan, allowing people to use their cellular phones.
Guiuan has a big tourism potential because of its natural wonders and rich heritage, said Presidential Assistant for Eastern Visayas Cynthia Nierras, who was in Guiuan to attend the inauguration of the town’s Tourism Information and Pasalubong Center on Saturday.
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing under the flag of Spain, first set foot on Philippine soil in Homonhon Island, which is a part of Guiuan, on March 16, 1521.
Inquirer Visayas
TACLOBAN CITY – The opening of an airport in historic Guiuan town in Eastern Samar, to commercial flights and the completion of other infrastructure projects will attract more tourists and investors on Calicoan Island, officials said.
Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan said commercial flights would start next month after the completion of the P155-million Guiuan Airport Development Project.
In an interview on Sunday, Kwan said that she had talked with Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air officials about her request for flights to and from Guiuan.
Cebu Pacific promised to start flights in November, she said, while the PAL manager in Tacloban had “endorsed favorably” the plan to the airline’s head offices in Manila.
The project included a new apron and taxiway, a passenger terminal building, a fire department building and perimeter fence, as well as the installation of a single-phase electrical line and asphalt overlay of the runway, Kwan said.
The mayor also disclosed that the P38-million water system project in Calicoan Island had already been completed. “In the past, many investors in Calicoan had backed out because of lack of potable water,” she said.
Potable water will be supplied to seven of the town’s villages, including four in Calicoan – Pagnamitan, Baras, Ngolos, and Sulangan.
Kwan said two major telecommunication companies had also put up towers in Calicoan, allowing people to use their cellular phones.
Guiuan has a big tourism potential because of its natural wonders and rich heritage, said Presidential Assistant for Eastern Visayas Cynthia Nierras, who was in Guiuan to attend the inauguration of the town’s Tourism Information and Pasalubong Center on Saturday.
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing under the flag of Spain, first set foot on Philippine soil in Homonhon Island, which is a part of Guiuan, on March 16, 1521.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
