Site preparation has to hasten for the P7.4 billion new Bohol airport civil works which are expected to commence in August this year. Japanese consultants also considered this in allowing more inquiries from the airport construction bidders whose competitive tenders can be known after the final week of May. Both major preparatory works on the sprawling airport complex site, the perimeter fencing has to proceed next month as soon as the land clearing is completed, according to Gov. Edgar Chatto yesterday. The project consultants considered the setting of the final date of the bidding on May 30 both to satisfy remaining requests from competing investors and avoid any pre-construction backlogs and yet unforeseen hitches in the transition to concrete implementation.

The development of the relocation site for the project-affected landowners and families is in progress and getting to full swing. Tourists, guests and other visitors on Lenten vacation did find time to see and stay in Panglao island, where the modern airport of international standard is finally rising, wishful to get to Bohol's beach capital already by plane in one of their return tours in not far future. Industry workers said the inflow of tourists and visitors, both foreign and domestic, could attest to Bohol tourism's continuing recovery since the destructive earthquake. They said that while it would be unfair to compare with last year's arrivals before the great disaster, and considering its impact, tourists have kept coming and proved how tourism in this gem province of the country could be so resilient. Among the international visitors who spent their Holy Week in Bohol was the country director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has principally assisted the new Bohol airport project. This was confirmed by the Bohol governor. There were also prominent corporate and political figures in the country on Lenten vacation here, including Sen. Serge Osmeña III who brought along with him his family. The secretary general of the United Nations – World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO), the world's highest tourism governing body, is coming to Bohol next month. (Ven C. Arigo)