LEGAZPI CITY—ARroyo administration officials had already spent P250 million and will have P600 million more to spend this year, and use up a total of at least P3.5 billion for an airport project here that does not yet have an engineering or architectural design, officials said.
The Southern Luzon International Airport (SLIA) was touted as part of the development of Bicol into one of the super regions listed by President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Gov. Joey Salceda, former chief of staff of Ms Arroyo, said the project construction would start in October.
Salceda said Ms Arroyo had already directed the Department of Budget and Management to allot P600 million in the 2008 national budget for the project.
But the government, he said, had already spent P250 million for what he described as a rapid detailed engineering work, construction of an access road connecting a national road to the airport site, and buying lands that are in the path of the runway.
He said, however, that the airport’s design was still being created and on detailed engineering stage.
According to Macario Pavia, provincial planning and development coordinator, the Department of Transportation and Communications will provide updates on the progress of the engineering and architectural design of the SLIA on Feb. 8.
Survey work, he said, is already complete but will be finalized once the final design is completed by the DOTC.
Despite the absence of a detailed engineering and architectural design, officials said access roads had already been built and pieces of land in the project site are to be bought.
Pavia said a pre-feasibility study was done in 2000 for a new airport in Bicol during the term of then Gov. Al Francis Bichara, now a congressman.
But the site being considered at that time was different.
Pavia said that in 2000, proponents were looking at lands in Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Legazpi and Polangui in Albay.
Salceda said the P600 million that Ms Arroyo ordered the DBM to allot for the project would not be released without the detailed engineering design and project plan.
The allocation in this year’s budget, he said, would be spent for materials required in civil works.
Salceda, chair of the Bicol Regional Development Council, said Ms Arroyo identified the airport project as one of those that she wanted finished before her term ends in 2010.
The site was identified as a 200-hectare piece of property on a plateau in Barangay Alobo, Daraga.
Salceda defended the project against criticisms that it was not necessary because it was not viable.
No feasibility study was available for the project.
Critics said the planned airport might just lay to waste because the surrounding areas did not have industries that could justify its existence.
But Salceda said Mayon volcano and the tourism income it generated would justify the new airport. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
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