TACLOBAN CITY: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has agreed to carry out improvement activities for the Borongan Airport in Eastern Samar province following the recent launch of the Cebu-Borongan inaugural flight of the Philippine Airlines (PAL).
According to House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan, he had initial talks with DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista for the funding of several airport improvements.
“We have just created a bridge in the sky, which is what we need today. We need to fortify and strengthen that bridge,” Libanan said in an interview Wednesday.
“To do that, we need to improve the facility. Secretary Bautista agreed that next year, there will be funds for our runway for inclusion in the general appropriations so that our 1.2-kilometer runway will become two kilometers,” added Libanan, a native of Eastern Samar.
Extending the runway length would allow the landing and takeoff of bigger planes at the community airport.
Another improvement that needs to be done, according to Libanan, is the construction of a permanent perimeter fence.
He would also push for the construction of a bigger terminal building to make passengers more comfortable while waiting for their planes. The existing departure area has only a 60-seating capacity.
The PAL turboprop plane being used in the Cebu-Borongan operation has a carrying capacity of 86 passengers.
“We also need to have a hangar that can be used by the plane during times of emergency,” Libanan added.
Navigational equipment at the airport also needs improvement to allow nighttime flights.
On Dec. 19, PAL launched a twice-weekly Cebu-Borongan-Cebu flight every Monday and Friday. The flight connects travelers from Metro Manila to the city via Cebu.
Borongan-bound passengers from Metro Manila can take the 8:55 a.m. flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that arrives at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport at around 10:20 a.m.
From Cebu, passengers will then transfer to a turboprop plane that will leave for Borongan at 11 a.m. and arrive at about noon time.
The plane will fly to Cebu at 12:30 p.m. and arrive after an hour, passengers will then transfer to an airbus plane that will leave at 3:10 p.m. in Cebu and land in Manila at 4:50 p.m.
Source: Philippines News Agency
