UNSTUDIED. We are saddened by the report that the touted Alaminos Airport initially supported with funds for land acquisition and building of access roads by the past Arroyo administration will now go to waste.

According National Economic and Development Authority Regional Director Nestor Rillon, a major reason cited by DOTC for scrapping the project is the unwillingness of domestic airline to service the route Manila- Alaminos-Manila because the projected passenger traffic will not support the airline’s costs.

Simply put, the project was not well studied before the government agreed to initially fund it.

Then comes another obviously unstudied proposal from no less than Senator Grace Poe, when she was in Dagupan City on Aug. 26  – to put up an international airport in Sta. Barbara.

Remember that the Loakan Airport in Baguio remains close to this day because the fog does not allow for safe landing and take off.  The adjacent San Fernando airport, which was made as an alternative to the Loakan Airport, was also closed because of the low volume of passenger traffic was not enough to support airlines’ operational costs.

The only airport that I know that is still in operation today is the Laoag International Airport built during the administration of then President Ferdinand Marcos where there are still daily flights from Taiwan to Laoag and vice versa, and regular flights from Laoag to Manila and vice versa.  It remains viable because of local patronage owing to the long distance land travel between Manila and Laoag.   

This can not be said of Pangasinan which is now connected to Manila by TPLEx and the Manila North Expressway. – Leonardo Micua

 

WHO’S PAYING?  It’s amusing to see how some people react and respond whenever the Bayambang Central School in Bayambang, Pangasinan is discussed.

When asked about who is paying for the electric and water bills consumption at the new school site in Barangay Bical, Principal Corazon Cayabyab, said she doesn’t know.

But she admitted there was a time their electric and water supplies were cut for non-payment of their accounts. We learned earlier that it was the mayor was kind enough to remedy the situation.

Who has been footing the bills since? Somebody is paying because the utilities were never disconnected after the first disconnection.

Madam Cayabyab said she no longer sees the bills nor the receipts. “Basta may kumukuha lang”.  Very safe answer. Moomooo kaya yun?

It’s been two years since the school was temporarily transferred on orders of Mayor Ric Camacho, backed by a municipal council resolution, citing flooding and dengue cases woes.

The controversy reached the court but the parents and teachers are continuing their protests. They want to go back to their original site.

Madam Cayabyab said since the school cannot use its MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operational Expenses) for payment of electric and water bills, the fund is realigned instead for other purposes. Remember that the new school site is privately owned, so government funds cannot be used. Ang siste kasi ay may nagmagandang loob (ehem ehem) na i-offer ang kanyang lote at patayuan ang mga bata ng bagong school. Har har har har!

Is Mr. X also the one shouldering other expenses until the controversy would die down and eventually gets what was promised to him by-you-know-who?

A source said someone is erupting like Mt. Pinatubo for spending already millions of pesos for the school swap deal.

Yet up to now, it’s still no deal. – Tita Roces

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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