THE MOTHBALLED airport in M’lang, Cotabato will need at least P2.6 billion to rehabilitate and put into operation, according to the Mindanao Development Authority (MiNDA), citing an assessment from the Department of Transportation.
In a statement last week, MinDA chairman Emmanuel F. Piñol, who was Cotabato governor when construction of the Central Mindanao Airport Development Project was started in 2004, said the facility will provide a logistical boost to the agriculture sector in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, which covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani, and General Santos City.
“The airport, which has capability for commercial flights, is primarily intended to support transport of agricultural products from the region,” Mr. Piñol said.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who visited earthquake-affected areas in the province last week, issued a directive to work on bringing the airport back into operation.
The runway and terminal building were completed in 2010, but then governor Emmylou T. Mendoza shelved it, citing problems with the acquisition of the 62-hectare site for the airport, the lack of a feasibility study and environmental impact assessment, among other issues.
In a Jan. 3 post on her social media page, Ms. Mendoza, currently the vice-governor, said efforts were exerted during her governorship to fix the problems, but “the anomalies and irregularities affecting the acquisition of lands had brought the project to a standstill. This warranted the involvement of the different national government agencies with legal authority on the issues affecting the project.” — Carmelito Q. Francisco
