Loakan Airport flights on; folks air plight on ‘demolition’ of houses
>> Wednesday, December 28, 2022
BAGUIO CITY — Commercial flights at Loakan Airport in this mountain city
are now on even as local folks aired their plight over impending demolition of their
structures along the airstrip in accordance with regulations.
Some 80 passengers and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama flew in the maiden flight of the flag carrier Philippine Airlines’ Baguio-Cebu route at past 10:30 a.m. Dec.16, reviving this city’s only airport, which had been idle for decades.
The Turboprop plane bearing tail number RP-C5903 descended without a hitch and passengers were welcomed with cool air and Loakan community who performed tribal dances
PAL had been flying passengers to Baguio since 1941, before World War II but ceased operations in the late 1990s.
A PAL official said this flight from a Manila airfield started Philippine commercial aviation.
The Cebu route is the airline’s return to this summer capital.
Residents near Loakan Airport here are apprehensive waiting for updates from the city government regarding status of their settlements reportedly due for demolition to prevent accidents along the airport.
Eduard Cayetano, Punong Barangay of Loakan Proper, told the city council Dec. 12 there had not been any conference yet with the city government’s anti-squatting and anti-illegal structures committee since 2020.
In January 2020, around 180 owners of structures reportedly situated within the buffer zone were issued notices of violation pursuant to Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s call for an investigation on the said buildings and houses.
This was in preparation for the opening of the airport to commercial operations.
Magalong directed Baguio chief Col. Francisco Bulwayan Jr. last week to assist the Loakan Airport Security committee during temporary closure of the national highway at the end of runway 27 to ensure safety during flight arrival and departure.
The mayor Dec. 19 approved the request of Loakan Airport Manager Rosito Tamayo for deployment of personnel from BCPO Station 4 to augment the team from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group in manning intermittent closure of the highway.
Tamayo told the mayor they needed police assistance since the national road, located at the end of runway 27 or the road leading to the Philippine Military Academy, is outside the airport perimeter.
He said closure will only take a few minutes each time.
Magalong said the city government will pursue its plan to construct a new road to serve residents and motorists affected by closure of the Loakan airport runway.
“We need to do it as the permanent solution to the access problem in the area,” he said.
He said coordination is now being made with the Dept. of Public Works and Highways and other agencies on the technical and financial aspects of the proposed project.
However, initial findings on the lot being eyed for the road showed portions owned by private individuals and not solely owned by the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) as initially presumed.
“Unfortunately, we need to resolve issues on privately owned lots along with the additional funding required to get it done. The additional funding was not included in our 2023 budget so it may be worked out by 2024,” he said.
The mayor said arrangements are being made with the CAAP through Tamayo in working out ways to provide residents temporary access while ensuring safety of aircrafts and crewmen using the runway.
“What is important is to stop the indiscriminate use of the runway to prevent hazards that may compromise the safety of the passengers, airport personnel and the aircrafts,” the mayor said. – With reports from Aileen P. Refuerzo
Some 80 passengers and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama flew in the maiden flight of the flag carrier Philippine Airlines’ Baguio-Cebu route at past 10:30 a.m. Dec.16, reviving this city’s only airport, which had been idle for decades.
The Turboprop plane bearing tail number RP-C5903 descended without a hitch and passengers were welcomed with cool air and Loakan community who performed tribal dances
PAL had been flying passengers to Baguio since 1941, before World War II but ceased operations in the late 1990s.
A PAL official said this flight from a Manila airfield started Philippine commercial aviation.
The Cebu route is the airline’s return to this summer capital.
Residents near Loakan Airport here are apprehensive waiting for updates from the city government regarding status of their settlements reportedly due for demolition to prevent accidents along the airport.
Eduard Cayetano, Punong Barangay of Loakan Proper, told the city council Dec. 12 there had not been any conference yet with the city government’s anti-squatting and anti-illegal structures committee since 2020.
In January 2020, around 180 owners of structures reportedly situated within the buffer zone were issued notices of violation pursuant to Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s call for an investigation on the said buildings and houses.
This was in preparation for the opening of the airport to commercial operations.
Magalong directed Baguio chief Col. Francisco Bulwayan Jr. last week to assist the Loakan Airport Security committee during temporary closure of the national highway at the end of runway 27 to ensure safety during flight arrival and departure.
The mayor Dec. 19 approved the request of Loakan Airport Manager Rosito Tamayo for deployment of personnel from BCPO Station 4 to augment the team from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group in manning intermittent closure of the highway.
Tamayo told the mayor they needed police assistance since the national road, located at the end of runway 27 or the road leading to the Philippine Military Academy, is outside the airport perimeter.
He said closure will only take a few minutes each time.
Magalong said the city government will pursue its plan to construct a new road to serve residents and motorists affected by closure of the Loakan airport runway.
“We need to do it as the permanent solution to the access problem in the area,” he said.
He said coordination is now being made with the Dept. of Public Works and Highways and other agencies on the technical and financial aspects of the proposed project.
However, initial findings on the lot being eyed for the road showed portions owned by private individuals and not solely owned by the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) as initially presumed.
“Unfortunately, we need to resolve issues on privately owned lots along with the additional funding required to get it done. The additional funding was not included in our 2023 budget so it may be worked out by 2024,” he said.
The mayor said arrangements are being made with the CAAP through Tamayo in working out ways to provide residents temporary access while ensuring safety of aircrafts and crewmen using the runway.
“What is important is to stop the indiscriminate use of the runway to prevent hazards that may compromise the safety of the passengers, airport personnel and the aircrafts,” the mayor said. – With reports from Aileen P. Refuerzo
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