THE Cebu provincial government and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the improvement of the Bantayan Airport, which has been closed since mid-Nov. 2017. The MOA, signed by Gov. Hilario P. Davide III and MCIAA General Manager Steve Y. Dicdican last Nov. 27, sets the terms, conditions and the obligations the two parties. Under the agreement, MCIAA will operate and manage the airport, and allocate P30 million for the repair and maintenance of the existing terminal building, construct the perimeter fence, and improve the runway. In a statement from the Cebu government, Mr. Dicdican said the renovation works will start before the end of the year. The provincial government, 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, currently classified as a community airport, into a commercial airport. The local government will also be responsible for the construction “and thereafter, cost of repair, rehabilitation and improvements of the structures and facilities as a commercial airport.” The ownership of the new terminal and other facilities will be turned over to the MCIAA. Bantayan Island, a popular beach destination in northern Cebu, is not connected by bridge to the mainland.

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