Panglao airport lot prices feared to “go exorbitant”

IF they have not risen, prices of lots in barangays Tawala, Bolod and Danao would be rising exorbitantly as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has again officially aired the status of another mega-infrastructure that will literally be a launch pad for Bohol 's island tourism. Prospective investors share the apprehensions aired by Investment Forum investor who has shown interest on partly putting up capital on a cluster of tourism related facilities in one location in Panglao.

Lot-owners where the future Panglao International Airport (PIAirport) rises reportedly have jacked up their lot's fair market-value as the government again takes up the shovels. But with the talks ripe of making the government acquisition plan an issue to resolve, a government authority who refused to be identified said appropriation proceedings may be a government's ace on the sleeve. He however said that should be the government's last resort. Earlier, criticisms against the construction of a P3Billion airport with international capacity here take the headlines until it run subdued as PGMA during her State of the Nation Address (SONA) said Bohol 's victories against communist insurgency merited the island an international airport.

The airport which local officials have been eyeing is to be built in Panglao to decongest portions of Tagbilaran City . It could also be an alternate port to Mactan International Airport , which to now needs an alternate airport to allow full load limits to planes from international routes. The Panglao International Airport Development Project, Governor Erico Aumentado said Friday has earned in fact a new support from Philippine Airlines tycoon Lucio Tan who has pledged to pay the government P3B in PAL obligations to spur Panglao Airport civil works. With the rumored jacking up of lot prices, Gov. Aumentado was meeting Friday the Task Force Panglao Airport to strategize the land acquisition.

Department of Transportation and Communication Assistant Secretary Jose Torralba told Kapihan sa PIA the other Thursday that the project's civil works happens between 2007-2010. This was a week before the President delivered he SONA. He said the provincial government was to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the DOTC putting in the land acquisition costs for the airport and its accompanying infrastructure then. Perhaps the SONA may not be as stunning for Boholanos who have pushed for the project since the 80's when Panglao popped into the tourism map. The local officials then knew that the best way to funnel the tourists would be to drop them where the beaches are.

The President, in her previous Bohol visits has given the thumbs up on the project and went on to go for the enactment of the Panglao Island Tourism Estate, an integrated development plan for a one-stop-tourism shop with ocean views and leisure and pleasure shops in a contiguous area. Even then, the doubts left by a project, which failed to take off for decades now takes wings as the President officially inserts the project into the Philippine Public Investment Plan, the SONA details. The move also stirred local land owners who see the prospect of cashing in on the plan. According to development plans, the PIAirport needs 220 hectares for its runway and cluster of administration buildings. Bohol has successfully acquired 30 hectares of it using its own provincial government funds while Mactan International Airport Authority has taken over the project administration months ago and acquisition also began.

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