Opong pummels Masbate airport; damage placed at up to P15M

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Saturday vowed to fast track repairs at the Masbate Airport after the facility suffered heavy damage worth P10 million to P15 million with the onslaught of Typhoon Opong.

Masbate's gateway had suspended airport operations since Thursday even before Opong made landfall twice on the province—at Palanas town at 4 a.m. Friday and about an hour later in Milagros.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to prepare a makeshift terminal for passengers while repair works are being conducted at the terminal building.

Video clips posted by the DOTr showed ripped roof panels and fallen ceilings at the airport grounds during Lopez's inspection at the facility on Saturday.

Lopez ordered the CAAP to conduct emergency procurement for the immediate securing of materials for repairs and standby supplies.

"Inutusan ko na ang CAAP na maghanap ng lugar dito sa labas kung saan pwede maglagay ng makeshift terminal. Pero ang problema sa ating sitwasyon ngayon ay 'yung pagbibilhan natin ng construction materials, ay apektado rin [ng bagyo]," Lopez said in a statement.

(I have instructed the CAAP to find an outside area where we can set up a makeshift terminal. But our problem now is that the retailers of construction materials have also been affected by the typhoon.)

According to the DOTr, the CAAP is targeting to resume flights at Masbate Airport on Monday. 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Masbate is the most devastated province by Opong, which exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, the DOTr said the Masbate Port was assessed to have sustained "minor damage" due to Opong. 

Port authorities were instructed to procure more air-to-water converters for the provision of potable water during emergency situations.

"Moving forward, dapat typhoon-resilient and architecture ang design ng airports at ports natin. Ang daming tumatamang bagyo sa atin every year, kaya dapat structurally prepared lahat ng airport at pantalan," Lopez said.

(Moving forward, the architecture and design of our airports and piers should be typhoon-resilient. So many storms pass through our country every year, so all our airports and piers should be prepared.)

— VDV, GMA Integrated News