DOTr, CAAP open San Vicente airport in Palawan

The Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines inaugurated on Thursday the San Vicente Airport in Palawan.

Transportation chief Arthur Tugade said the inauguration concluded the P62.7-million project which began construction in 2009.

“Ngayon ay bumibiyahe na dito ang Air Juan. Sa lalong madaling panahon, magsisimula na ring bumiyahe dito ang Cebu Pacific at ang Philippine Airlines,” he said.

The passenger terminal building can accommodate up to 100 passengers, which was larger than the average capacity of community airports at 50, Tugade noted

With this development, the number of tourists arrivals in San Vicente is expected to go up.

“Regalo po ito ng Pangulo sa inyo. Alagaan ninyo ito. Siguraduhin ninyong hindi magiging basurahan ang mga baybayin nito, hindi magiging itim ang white sand, at hindi magkakaroon ng mababaho at maduduming mga kanal,” Tugade said.

“Do not let anyone destroy your paradise,” he said.

In 2006m, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced the construction of the airport as part of the plan to develop tourism in the area

San Vicente town is known have the longest white sand beach in the Philippines that stretches 14.7 kilometers and spans the coastline of four barangays.  —Anna Felicia Bajo/VDS, GMA News