The city government here is upbeat to receive more air passengers following the completion of the new terminal building and the start of air cargo operations. In an interview Wednesday, Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda said the construction of the new building through the local government funds was an expression of their commitment to sustain flights from the city to Cebu and Manila and vice versa. ‘This aims to enhance the travel experience to and from this city, meeting the growing number of passengers and fostering economic growth,’ Agda said. The PHP10 million terminal building, which serves as the new departure waiting area, is the first facility built by a local government, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). The new departure area has a capacity of 120 passengers, bigger than the old one that can only cater to around 75 passengers. “This achievement is a pinnacle of cooperation between the national government and the local government demonstrating what we can accomplish when we work together,” said CAAP director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo. The construction of the building, which is mostly made of container vans, started in March this year, and was completed after three months. The old terminal building will still be used as a passenger arrival terminal area and for cargo storage. Meanwhile, Borongan City Airport and Philippine Airlines (PAL) Express also started on June 19 their cargo operations for fishery and agricultural products from the city and other towns in the province. Agda said the cargo operations at the city airport would benefit the city and the fishery and agricultural sectors of the entire Eastern Samar province. The official said that they have a cold storage facility which is essential to prolonging and preserving the shelf life of perishable foods without compromising their value. The local government was hopeful that a navigational system will be installed soon should PAL decide to add more flights. “If we have night flight operations, that will make the airport operation and connectivity more seamless with Cebu and Manila,” Agda said. Borongan City information officer Rupert Ambil III reported that since the city’s airport began its operations in December 2022, at least 86 inbound and outbound flights by PAL Express have been recorded, carrying a total of 4,022 passengers from Manila, Cebu, Borongan City, and its neighboring towns. The city’s airport has only two flights a week, every Monday and Friday, through the Manila-Cebu-Borongan route.
Source: Philippines News Agency
