Cebu Fifth District Rep. Vincent “Duke” Frasco tabled a bill to build a commercial airport in Camotes Islands, Cebu, for the development of its tourism industry.
Found off the northeastern coast of Cebu, Camotes Island has been one of the most visited paradises in the Province for its white-sand beaches, astonishing caves, and distinguished underwater marine life.
However, it is still difficult to access the area given that the only source of transportation is only by boat.
Frasco said that the fast-changing sea currents traveling to and from the Island cause the transportation to be challenging and unpredictable.
“The difficulty in accessing the area has been a major hindrance to its economic development and the upliftment of the lives of people living there,” Frasco explained.
For now, there is an airstrip located in San Francisco town owned by the Cebu Provincial Government, but this has not been functioning yet as a commercial airport.
“The construction of the new airport will bring progress to Camotes and will reinforce its potential as the new tourism powerhouse of Cebu. This will in turn benefit the economy,” Frasco said.
Should the proposed bill be granted, the funds required for its establishment, operations, and maintenance will be inclusive to the National budget since the said bill is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte's "Build, Build, Build" Program.
Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) agreed with the proposed bill after they inspected the area.
The construction of a 1.8-kilometer airstrip within a 27-hectare airport will help solve the congestion at Mactan Airport.
Words and Photo by Laica Agad
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