Trees within 18 private lands in the vicinity of the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport in Negros Oriental will finally be cut or trimmed to allow for safe airspace.
Allan Punay, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines airport manager, said Wednesday that after several negotiations, the property owners were finally convinced to have the trees cut or trimmed, and will be provided remuneration.
“In coordination with Sibulan Mayor Jose “Pepe” Abiera and the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, we talked to the owners recently, and they signed an agreement with computations as to how much they will be receiving for each tree cut or trimmed,” Punay told the media.
The trees of the residents have long posed a problem to aircraft, especially bigger ones, that do not land anymore from the western portion (mountain side) of the runway, Punay noted.
There are currently a maximum of eight flights a day at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport, which can now accommodate up to 13 flights, both during day and nighttime, the CAAP manager said.
Meanwhile, Punay said there will be no more extension or improvement works at the current airport, owing to the international airport to be built in Bacong town, about 15 minutes south of this capital.
About 50 to 60 percent of the land acquisition in Bacong has been met, and by next year, a loan agreement signing will be done for the new airport, as undertaken by the Department of Transportation, Punay added. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
