REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA
FIFTEEN airports in Mindanao classified as priority infrastructure projects will be completed by December, this year. Three of these are the big airports of Zamboanga, Dipolog and Pagadian cities.
A press release distributed by the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) during its 12th Mindanao Super Region (MSR) inter-agency meeting here, stated that works of the the three airport upgrade projects are sped up for completion before 2010.
The said airfields have a combined funding of P1.28 billion and are being implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communication in close coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines under the MSR strategy.
Works of the project components of the mentioned airports include the continuation or completion of the asphalt overlay of runways, rehabilitation or construction of terminal and fire station buildings and the procurement of air navigational facilities, among others.
Of the total amount, the Dipolog airport gets the biggest chunk with P478.05 million, followed by Zamboanga City with P428.5 million and Pagadian with P379.46.
The status report paper of the MSR stated that total funding requirements for both Dipolog and Pagadian airports have already been released while that of Zamboanga City has a total of only P127 million or 29.64 percent released.
“By fasttracking the upgrading ofour airports, we would be able to improve our connectivity with the rest of the country. This would lead to more economic activities and generate employment and business opportunities in Mindanao,” said MEDCo chair Usec. Virgilio Leyretana Sr.
Leyretena, who is also MSR’s deputy development champion, added that the rehabilitation and contructions of the airport facilities will contribute to the safe and efficient airport operations as well as ensure safer and smoother landings.
Presently, 35 other infra projects with a total budget of P62.555 billion are under MSR, a concept which aims to spruce up Mindanao’s potential as an agribusiness center through major infrastructure support.
Aside from the Pagadian City Airport, two other infra projects are mentioned as 100 percent completed under MSR. These are the P9.97 million Aurora General Hospital in Aurora, Zambosur and the P20 million Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Hospital, now renamed Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center (ZSMC).
The ZSMC project involves the construction of a CT Scan facility and repairs of the doctors’ quarters, OPD and PT rooms and OR and laboratory rooms, improvement of the administration building, construction of the two-storey building, construction of dialysis center and facilities and the gas pipe-in connections.
FIFTEEN airports in Mindanao classified as priority infrastructure projects will be completed by December, this year. Three of these are the big airports of Zamboanga, Dipolog and Pagadian cities.
A press release distributed by the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) during its 12th Mindanao Super Region (MSR) inter-agency meeting here, stated that works of the the three airport upgrade projects are sped up for completion before 2010.
The said airfields have a combined funding of P1.28 billion and are being implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communication in close coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines under the MSR strategy.
Works of the project components of the mentioned airports include the continuation or completion of the asphalt overlay of runways, rehabilitation or construction of terminal and fire station buildings and the procurement of air navigational facilities, among others.
Of the total amount, the Dipolog airport gets the biggest chunk with P478.05 million, followed by Zamboanga City with P428.5 million and Pagadian with P379.46.
The status report paper of the MSR stated that total funding requirements for both Dipolog and Pagadian airports have already been released while that of Zamboanga City has a total of only P127 million or 29.64 percent released.
“By fasttracking the upgrading ofour airports, we would be able to improve our connectivity with the rest of the country. This would lead to more economic activities and generate employment and business opportunities in Mindanao,” said MEDCo chair Usec. Virgilio Leyretana Sr.
Leyretena, who is also MSR’s deputy development champion, added that the rehabilitation and contructions of the airport facilities will contribute to the safe and efficient airport operations as well as ensure safer and smoother landings.
Presently, 35 other infra projects with a total budget of P62.555 billion are under MSR, a concept which aims to spruce up Mindanao’s potential as an agribusiness center through major infrastructure support.
Aside from the Pagadian City Airport, two other infra projects are mentioned as 100 percent completed under MSR. These are the P9.97 million Aurora General Hospital in Aurora, Zambosur and the P20 million Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Hospital, now renamed Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center (ZSMC).
The ZSMC project involves the construction of a CT Scan facility and repairs of the doctors’ quarters, OPD and PT rooms and OR and laboratory rooms, improvement of the administration building, construction of the two-storey building, construction of dialysis center and facilities and the gas pipe-in connections.