By Lizbeth Ann Abella/Philippine News Agency
ORMOC CITY, Leyte — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Friday led the inauguration of the newly-developed Ormoc Airport damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and a strong earthquake in 2017.
Located in Airport village in Ormoc City, the passenger terminal building’s total area has been expanded from 150 square meters to 1,350 square meters to accommodate more passengers in the western part of Leyte province.
The PHP34-million rehabilitation project started on Feb. 1, 2018 and was completed in only four months on May 31, according to the Department of Transportation.
The developments include the renovation of the passenger terminal building destroyed by “Yolanda” in 2013, as well as the construction of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) administration building.
Joining the President in the unveiling of the marker were Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, An Waray Rep. Florencio Noel, Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco.
The President inspected the airport and left Ormoc for Alangalang, Leyte to inaugurate a privately-owned rice processing complex.
Ormoc Airport’s 2,042-meter by 36-meter runway will go through developments with the ongoing PHP82-million asphalt overlay and strip grade correction project, now 61 percent complete; and a PHP55-million runway widening project, which is being eyed for completion in 2020.
The 41-hectare airport, classified as Principal Class 2 by the CAAP, catered to 1,267 passengers from Air Juan and Cebu Pacific and accommodated 80,244 aircraft operations, including general aviation, in 2018.
The airport is being used by Air Juan’s Cebu-Ormoc-Cebu flights and as a training center of Cebu-based Indiana Aerospace University. The Leading Edge Air Services Corp. has expressed interest in launching Clark-Ormoc flights.
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