Capitol, MCIAA Seal Partnership to Develop Commercial Airport in Bantayan

The Cebu Provincial Government, through Gov. Hilario P. Davide III, and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the improvement of the Bantayan Airport.

Davide signed the agreement in behalf of the Province, while MCIAA general manager Steve Dicdican signed for the airport authority. Vice Gov. Agnes A. Magpale served as one of the witnesses in the MOA signing ceremony held last Nov. 27.

The MOA has set the terms, conditions and the obligations of the involved parties in improving the Bantayan Airport located in Sta. Fe town, Bantayan Island.

Under the agreement, the Bantayan Airport, which is classified as a community airport, will be operated and managed by the MCIAA.

The MCIAA will also take charge of the repair and maintenance of the existing terminal building, construct the perimeter fence, as well as improve the runway.

Dicdican earlier said that MCIAA will allocate at least P30 million for the terminal and runway repair and construction of the perimeter fence. It is expected to start by the end of this year.

The Capitol, on the other hand, will prepare the architectural, engineering and other plans, in consultation with the Civil Aviation and Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the MCIAA, for the development of the facility into a commercial airport.

The MOA further provides that the Capitol will be responsible for the construction “and thereafter, cost of repair, rehabilitation and improvements of the structures and facilities as a commercial airport.”

“Whereas, given the positive catalytic impacts an airport brings such as boost of tourism, increase of investments and trade, generation of employment and upliftment of the economic and social conditions of the community, POC (Province of Cebu) committed to develop the airport into a commercial airport,” read a portion of the MOA.

Once the construction is completed, the Capitol will turn over the ownership of the new terminal and other facilities to the MCIAA.

The parties shall enter into a supplemental or new agreement, as may be necessary, in the course of the implementation of the MOA, specifically when both parties complete its negotiation in the further upgrading of the facility to operate as a commercial airport, a provision of the agreement stated.

The MOA that MCIAA and Capitol signed last Nov. 27 cited the previous tripartite MOA sealed last Jan. 2, 2003 for the development of the Bantayan Airport. The signatories of the tripartite MOA were the Capitol, MCIAA and CAAP.

The tripartite MOA had expired in January 2013, and this was not renewed.

On Jan. 1, 2018, CAAP turned over the management and operation of the Bantayan Airport to MCIAA, in adherence to the previous agreement that states, ”ownership of all buildings and improvements introduced by CAAP in the airport, including parcels of land on which it is constructed, shall be deemed transferred to MCIAA.”

The development of the island airport is one of the priorities of the administration of Davide and Magpale.

This is Davide and Magpale’s way of putting into action two of their six priorities: countryside development and infrastructure development, tourism and investment promotion. These priorities are the administration’s roadmap in achieving its slogan, “Kalambuan sa Matag Sugbuanon.”

Madridejos Vice Mayor Salvador dela Fuente, and Provincial Board Members Horacio Franco, Jerome Librando and Jerico Rubio also attended the event. (Cebu Provincial Gov’t)