GUIGUINTO, Bulacan — Some 12 million tourists are seen to travel to the country every year once the proposed PHP700-billion Bulacan Airport is built.
Guiguinto Mayor Ambrosio Cruz Jr., League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Bulacan Chapter president, expressed confidence the four million tourists that visit the country yearly will be tripled once the mega airport project proposal in Bulakan town pushes through.
Cruz, however, said the national government must focus more on improving the peace and order situation, level up tourism business operations and increase agriculture output to be able to sustain and meet the needs of the millions of tourists that would enter the country annually.
“If we have this kind of aerotropolis, one of the biggest airports in Asia and in the world, we need to keep the crime rate low in the country, maintain beautiful and attractive tourist spots and strengthen agricultural production so that we can encourage more tourists,” Cruz told the Philippine News Agency in an interview on Monday.
He added the country must have a terminal that is not only efficient but also something that every Filipino would be proud of.
Earlier, Transportation Undersecretary Ruben Reinoso said approving the proposed Bulacan Airport is crucial as the project is seen as one of the possible alternatives to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to decongest the country’s main gateway.
He said the approval is expected to be issued by the end of the year. Construction may begin as early as 2019 and is expected to be completed by the year 2024, its proponent, San Miguel Corporation (SMC), announced recently.
The proposed international airport involves the construction of a terminal, parallel runways, and an airport toll road.
The whole project will cover around 2,500 hectares of which 1,168 hectares will be the main airport complex, while the remaining 1,332 hectares will be developed into a township.
The Bulacan International Airport will have an initial annual capacity of 100 million passengers – over triple than that of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). (Manny Balbin/PNA)
