The Mactan Cebu International Airport is expanding to accommodate additional passengers and Lapu-Lapu City Hall wants to be included in that growth (CDN FILE PHOTO).
Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Aileen Radaza filed a bill that sought to amend a provision in the charter of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority in order to give a seat for a Lapu-Lapu City official or representative in the airport’s board of directors.
House Bill No. 4105 seeks to amend Section 6 of Republic Act 6958, otherwise known as the Charter of Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.
Rep. Radaza is the daughter of incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza.
In her bill, Radaza said the MCIAA is located within Lapu-Lapu City and the airport’s charter had been approved on July 31, 1990 while Lapu-Lapu City had been a city for nearly 30 years by virtue of RA 3134 enacted on June 17, 1961.
Despite this, Lapu-Lapu City was not allocated even one seat in the 11-person MCIAA board of directors.
Radaza said Lapu-Lapu City is classified as a first class highly urbanized city since July 21, 2007.
She said the city is now a congressional district after it separated from Cebu’s 6th district by virtue of Republic Act 9726 approved on October 22, 2009.
Jay Arce, Radaza’s chief of staff, said Lapu-Lapu City cannot even recommend its own representative to the board.
The board is chaired by the Transportation Secretary with the airport’s general manager as vice chairperson.
Members include the assistant secretary of the Air Transportation Office, the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority and the secretaries or chosen representatives of the Departments of Finance, Justice and Tourism.
Rounding out the board are four members recommended by the governor of Cebu.
Radaza’s bill would allow Lapu-Lapu City to recommend or appoint its own representative to the board.
Rep. Raul Del Mar of Cebu City’s north district earlier filed House Bill 637 seeking an amendment in the airport’s charter that would require appointed directors and officers to be residents of the cities and the province of Cebu for at least three years prior to their appointment.