After months of seeing red, the Tacloban Airport Development Project is finally turning green. Phase 1 of the project which involved constructing posts, beams, and walls was plagued by excessively high negative slippage.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. It still is at negative 17 slippage, but finishing this phase is in sight, with completion in probably three months. The green part is Phase 2 which started only three months ago, after its start was delayed by over a year, is now positive 2 and the runway asphalting is plus 17.
I was part of a group from the Regional Development Council that conducted site monitoring last April 16. During this visit, I began to appreciate and feel the size of the new terminal building with a seating capacity for 1200 departure area passengers on the second and 400 on the first floors.
CAAP said it will finish the new terminal building by early 2026 so it can be used by domestic flights starting that year. This opening will pave the way for a large increase in flights because the airport can now accommodate more planes. We can expect a dramatic increase in tourists and the consequent improvement of the economy as tourists spend while in this region. As I stated here last year, the economy loses 5 billion pesos in tourist spending every year the project is delayed.
This project has already suffered a two-year delay. Phases 2 and 3 are poised to recover lost time. The lessons of phase 1 should not be repeated.
DPWH will implement phase 3 which is what we can call - the finishing touches, as it installs the wave-like roof design, the cozy and appealing interiors, basic facilities like the powerhouse, and the road network to the terminal and around the whole airport, including an 8-meter-wide 2.5 kilometer long highway along the seaside (which hopefully can be opened to private vehicles as part of a strategy to attract tourists. This highway is 70 meters from the runway edge)
In numerous meetings and on-site inspections, DPWH representatives cited ways to call attention to technical deficiencies, as well as its reportorial system to improve the construction method. It will soon be time for this agency to show how good they are at doing the work and not only in making suggestions.
They have to “walk the talk”.
Turning the tide, light at the end of the tunnel, and walking the talk - memorable idioms. They all sound good and relevant. The national government must put life into these expressions, continue this trend and momentum, and get this project done ASAP. Eastern Visayas is waiting and watching.
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