New airport will help Boholanos

This is in connection with Jose Taganahan’s suggestion to shift funds set aside for the construction of a new Bohol airport (“Shift funds for planned airport to rebuild Bohol,” Letters, 10/13/31). The project is long overdue; it has been in the pipeline for 20 years. What thinking Boholanos should do instead is to urge government to make this project a priority.

The safety of passengers should be the main concern now. Infrastructure in Tagbilaran City, where the present airport is located, was affected by the earthquake. Panglao was not affected. So we can say that Panglao is a safe place for a bigger airport.

Boholanos should move forward and that’s what they are doing. They are going back to business. They should be commended for striving to survive in a dignified way. What they are doing is to rise above all the misfortunes that have befallen them.

Tourism is Bohol’s major industry. A new airport will help Bohol in rising up again. There are other attractions in Bohol aside from the old churches. There are white sandy beaches, the Chocolate Hills which have no major damage, the forests, the Loboc River, adventures in Danao, scuba diving, whale and  dolphin watching, butterfly and firefly watching, the naturally talented Boholanos, etc. Bohol should not be compared with Bacolod since the former is a top tourist destination.

The No. 1 requirement of tourism is a good airport. Many foreign tourists are suggesting that there should be direct flights to Bohol from other countries. The beauty of Bohol is a pride to the Philippines as a country.

In Vienna, there is a very small cordoned area about five square meters. It is made of stone rubbles suggesting that this is a remnant from the Roman Empire. It is a tourist attraction. As we all know, Europe markets its tourism industry by emphasizing its history. In Taiwan, a building destroyed by a massive earthquake is a tourist attraction. Big earthquakes are part of history.

Funds from the Priority Development Assistance Fund, Disbursement Acceleration Program, calamity funds, budget for next year and the donations from other countries, big corporations and private citizens would be sufficient for the earthquake victims. This is a time to give. Don’t misappropriate funds. “Baka  mapunta  pa  ito  sa  mga  politicians.”

—CHERRY SUICO,

[email protected]