The airstrip in Sta. Fe town on Bantayan Island will soon have a newly paved runway. /Bantayanisland.com
THE planned rehabilitation of the Sta. Fe airport in Bantayan Island is expected to start in October.
Glenn Napuli, acting assistant general manager of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), said they are now in the process of bidding the airport rehabilitation project that is estimated to cost at least P27 million.
Actual works will start with the rehabilitation of the airport building in October.
Ones completed, MCIAA will already proceed with the repaving of the airport runway and the establishment of a perimeter fence.
“Our goal is to make it compliant with safety and security standards for a community airport,” Napuli said.
Nelson Yuvallos, president of the Resorts Owners Association, said that having a newly rehabilitated airport is expected to draw more tourists into the island and help with their economic growth.
“We are really happy that at last the government through MCIAA has heard our prayers. In order for Bantayan to grow, we need an airport to bring our guests closer to us,” he said.
MCIA recorded 45,000 domestic tourists and 14,00 foreign tourist arrivals on the island in 2016.
The Bantayan Island airport was built in 1991 to cater to air traffic services, pilot training flights and sky diving activities among others.
The airport also serves as destination of twice a week flights coming from the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Lapu-Lapu City.
MCIAA took over its management from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in January.
But they they have yet to finalize the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Cebu provincial government that owns the property occupied by the airport.
Since their assumption of airport operations, Napuli said they started to repaint the runway, replace its signages and wind cones and install security guards.
Actual rehabilitation work is expected to follow soon.