Gov’t hopes to attract more tourists to Bohol with new airport

(Updated 11:24 a.m., May 28) The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) hopes to attract more tourists to Bohol by 2017 once the P7-billion airport project on Panglao Island is completed.

According to DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, the new eco-friendly airport will replace the Tagbilaran airport, the current Bohol gateway and the 11th busiest airport in the Philippines.

In 2013, the Tagbilaran airport catered to around 789,800 passengers despite being only 850 square meters in area.

Abaya said the new "world class" Panglao airport will be ten times bigger, with a floor area of around 8,800 square meters, boosting the annual passenger capacity to 1.7 million passengers.

The airport's construction is scheduled to start next month and is expected to be completed within 30 months or in 2017 to early 2018.

Bohol is considered one of the top destinations in the Department of Tourism's "It's more fun in the Philippines" campaign. The province's attractions include the Chocolate Hills, Hinagdanan Cave, Loboc River, the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary and numerous beaches and diving spots.

The new airport could further boost the province's tourism industry, which suffered when a 7.2-magnitude quake in October 2013 damaged or destroyed several colonial-era churches.

Despite the quake, Bohol was quick to recover, posting higher tourist arrivals in 2014 with 438,908 compared to 2013 with 389,767.

True to its eco-tourism branding, the Panglao airport will have environment-friendly and energy-saving features, such as the installation of LED lights. Air conditioning in the pre-depature area will be powered via solar energy; while the rest of the areas will be open.

"Tourists in Bohol continue to grow each year that passes. Unfortunately, the current airport may not be able to accommodate the increase over time. This gives us the need to cater to the increasing number of tourists and this means modernizing and expanding the airport with a design that is of international standards," Abaya said.

Abaya added the plan was carefully studied by experts. Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto said the Bohol Fault is not linked or connected to the location of the planned Panglao airport.

Chatto added the Panglao airport will be built using materials that could withstand a massive earthquake.

The Panglao airport project is a partnership between the DOTC and the winning bidder, a Japanese joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Chiyoda Corporation. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez and JP Soriano/BM/KG, GMA News