Laguindingan Airport : Sooner Than You Think
Mike Banos
July 31, 2006
Following the latest milestone in the Laguindingan Airport Development Project (LADP) , the nay sayers are again out in force, saying to all and sundry who would lend them an ear, I told you so - we would never see a plane land or take off from it during our lifetime!
There's no denying the much delayed project has been put-putting along, but for the first time ever in the history of the LADP which had its inception in 1991, someone was man enough to answer a question posed by media during the signing rites for the Phase 2 Relocation Project held June 20, 2006 at one of our local restaurants : "When would the first aircraft going to take off and land, if ever, from the Laguindingan Airport?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Engr. Della Capicenio, the newly appointed project manager for the LAPD replied : "By August, 2010." That's the completion date printed in the color brochure done by the LAPD and distributed to media during the occasion. This marks the first time that sixty four dollar question has ever been answered categorically with exactitude by anybody. And it took a woman to do it...
Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno shares Capicenio's confidence. He recounted how the LADP was a key component of the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor Special Development Project (CIC-SDP) which was the baby of no less than Pres. Gloria Arroyo, then an undersecretary in the Department of Trade and Industry and ergo, holds a special place in the Chief Executive's heart.
In fact, Moreno recounts how everyone went gaga when Pres. GMA demanded the ground-breaking rites for the project be held last January 11. Not only was everybody not ready at such a short notice, but not everyone shared the President's optimism for the project.
Nevertheless, critical ground works needed for the detailed engineering and design of the airport is now finished, and the DE itself already completed by Korean's Yooshin Engineering, which worked with local consultant Schema Konsult.
Among these critical ground works are the geotechnical survey, also known as soils investigation and the meteorological survey for at least five years to ensure local climatic conditions would exhibit none of the erratic terminal weather which sometimes hits Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro that it aims to replace and thus realize 24/7 round the clock operations called for by long-haul international flights.
During its early years, many were the detractors who raised the issue of the caves in the limestone bedrock and possible cross-winds in the area which could threaten aircraft operating at the airport. That many of those doomsayers were spin doctors of vested interests pushing their own choices for the airport site nobody took note of at the time, but now seems so evident with hindsight.
Capicenio confirmed that while the geotechnical investigations indeed proved the existence of limestone caves in some areas northeast of the proposed runway, these do not pose a threat to the project other than some restrictions due to the sub-surface conditions. One of these was that no drilling would be allowed in the limestone bedrock of the airport site, so the LADP would have to secure its potable and industrial water someplace else.
Capicenio confirms this has already been provided for in the final detailed engineering design submitted by Yooshin and Scheme Konsult, and approved by the Dept. of Transportation and Communications.
Another concern raised by media during the signing rites was the escalation of costs since the project cost was last updated in 1991, as confirmed by DOTC Asst. Sec. for Project Planning and Development Robert C. Castañares. Yooshin and Schema Konsult should be ready with the updated project cost by the 22nd of this month, he said.
Castañares is DOTC’s representative to the Cabinet Assistance System (CAS) a group of upper level managers which meets every Wednesday with Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Ricardo Saludo following the regular cabinet meetings held Tuesdays. He says the LADP has been identified by the President as a priority project under her “Pump-Priming Initiatives” and its progress is being monitored every week by the CAS.
But Castañares admits financing the LADP as originally conceived by the National Development Corporation (NDC) through the Philippine Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) has not been “as workable” as originally planned, hence, CAS is pushing the project push as scheduled under the regular DOTC budget.
The LADP will be implemented with or without NDC,” Castañares affirmed to applause from those present. Meantime, NDC will proceed with its fund-raising initiatives for the project, he added.
The national government is undertaking negotiations with the Korean Eximbank to lower the initial payment to the project contractor, given their current budgetary constraints. Although the Eximbank facility will expire this December, the Dept. of Finance is already negotiating for its extension.
Another thing going for the LADP is the project manager herself. Capicenio was previously project director of the DOTC’s 3rd Airports Development Project that sought to upgrade airports in six areas: Puerto Princessa, Cotabato, Butuan, Dipolog, Pagadian and Sanga-Sanga, Tawi-Tawi. The DOTC had to cancel the project after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) refused to extend the availability of financing for it after the original term expired due to unforeseen difficulties with land acquisition.
On top of her previous experience working with Korean contractor Hanjin on a dam project in Bohol and the Batangas City Port, we have hopes this University of San Agustin civil engineering graduate’s previous experience with the 3rd Airport Project would help LADP avoid similar sinkholes along the way so Eddy Montalvan could finally see the first PAL A330-200 jumbo land and take off from Bgy. Moog in August, 2010.
Now that would make for one hell of a fiesta event that Eddy would remember for a long time to come, if his pipe allows him to time enough to enjoy his reminiscing.
Busa pag undang na lagi nang tabako!
There's no denying the much delayed project has been put-putting along, but for the first time ever in the history of the LADP which had its inception in 1991, someone was man enough to answer a question posed by media during the signing rites for the Phase 2 Relocation Project held June 20, 2006 at one of our local restaurants : "When would the first aircraft going to take off and land, if ever, from the Laguindingan Airport?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Engr. Della Capicenio, the newly appointed project manager for the LAPD replied : "By August, 2010." That's the completion date printed in the color brochure done by the LAPD and distributed to media during the occasion. This marks the first time that sixty four dollar question has ever been answered categorically with exactitude by anybody. And it took a woman to do it...
Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno shares Capicenio's confidence. He recounted how the LADP was a key component of the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor Special Development Project (CIC-SDP) which was the baby of no less than Pres. Gloria Arroyo, then an undersecretary in the Department of Trade and Industry and ergo, holds a special place in the Chief Executive's heart.
In fact, Moreno recounts how everyone went gaga when Pres. GMA demanded the ground-breaking rites for the project be held last January 11. Not only was everybody not ready at such a short notice, but not everyone shared the President's optimism for the project.
Nevertheless, critical ground works needed for the detailed engineering and design of the airport is now finished, and the DE itself already completed by Korean's Yooshin Engineering, which worked with local consultant Schema Konsult.
Among these critical ground works are the geotechnical survey, also known as soils investigation and the meteorological survey for at least five years to ensure local climatic conditions would exhibit none of the erratic terminal weather which sometimes hits Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro that it aims to replace and thus realize 24/7 round the clock operations called for by long-haul international flights.
During its early years, many were the detractors who raised the issue of the caves in the limestone bedrock and possible cross-winds in the area which could threaten aircraft operating at the airport. That many of those doomsayers were spin doctors of vested interests pushing their own choices for the airport site nobody took note of at the time, but now seems so evident with hindsight.
Capicenio confirmed that while the geotechnical investigations indeed proved the existence of limestone caves in some areas northeast of the proposed runway, these do not pose a threat to the project other than some restrictions due to the sub-surface conditions. One of these was that no drilling would be allowed in the limestone bedrock of the airport site, so the LADP would have to secure its potable and industrial water someplace else.
Capicenio confirms this has already been provided for in the final detailed engineering design submitted by Yooshin and Scheme Konsult, and approved by the Dept. of Transportation and Communications.
Another concern raised by media during the signing rites was the escalation of costs since the project cost was last updated in 1991, as confirmed by DOTC Asst. Sec. for Project Planning and Development Robert C. Castañares. Yooshin and Schema Konsult should be ready with the updated project cost by the 22nd of this month, he said.
Castañares is DOTC’s representative to the Cabinet Assistance System (CAS) a group of upper level managers which meets every Wednesday with Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Ricardo Saludo following the regular cabinet meetings held Tuesdays. He says the LADP has been identified by the President as a priority project under her “Pump-Priming Initiatives” and its progress is being monitored every week by the CAS.
But Castañares admits financing the LADP as originally conceived by the National Development Corporation (NDC) through the Philippine Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) has not been “as workable” as originally planned, hence, CAS is pushing the project push as scheduled under the regular DOTC budget.
The LADP will be implemented with or without NDC,” Castañares affirmed to applause from those present. Meantime, NDC will proceed with its fund-raising initiatives for the project, he added.
The national government is undertaking negotiations with the Korean Eximbank to lower the initial payment to the project contractor, given their current budgetary constraints. Although the Eximbank facility will expire this December, the Dept. of Finance is already negotiating for its extension.
Another thing going for the LADP is the project manager herself. Capicenio was previously project director of the DOTC’s 3rd Airports Development Project that sought to upgrade airports in six areas: Puerto Princessa, Cotabato, Butuan, Dipolog, Pagadian and Sanga-Sanga, Tawi-Tawi. The DOTC had to cancel the project after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) refused to extend the availability of financing for it after the original term expired due to unforeseen difficulties with land acquisition.
On top of her previous experience working with Korean contractor Hanjin on a dam project in Bohol and the Batangas City Port, we have hopes this University of San Agustin civil engineering graduate’s previous experience with the 3rd Airport Project would help LADP avoid similar sinkholes along the way so Eddy Montalvan could finally see the first PAL A330-200 jumbo land and take off from Bgy. Moog in August, 2010.
Now that would make for one hell of a fiesta event that Eddy would remember for a long time to come, if his pipe allows him to time enough to enjoy his reminiscing.
Busa pag undang na lagi nang tabako!
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