Major airport opened despite woeful inadequacy

Almost two weeks of weather disruptions in mid-January caused by the low pressure area (LPA) and tropical depression “Agaton” wrought havoc on the lives and properties of the people in Eastern and Northern Mindanao. Almost 80 people perished and hundreds of millions of pesos worth of infrastructure and agricultural products were lost.

The economic losses were further aggravated by the long stretches of cancelled flights in Laguindingan Airport, which serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, and the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte. Flight cancellations occurred from Jan. 8 to 15. Flights resumed on Jan. 16, but the following Saturday, Jan. 17, until the morning of Jan. 22, flights were again cancelled. Needless to say, these cancellations translated into economic losses to the tune of hundreds of millions of pesos.

True, cancellations of flights were caused partly by the weather disturbance. The main culprit, however, is the woefully inadequate facilities of Laguindingan Airport—it has no runway lights, and it lacks navigational aids for Instrument Flight Rules and for Visual Flight Rules. No wonder, whenever there are dark clouds (just simple rain clouds, not even LPAs) hovering over the airport, flights are cancelled. And what is worrying is that when there is bad weather, it is the control tower in the old Lumbia Airport that is being used for air traffic procedure at Laguindingan Airport.

(I had the misfortune of failing to attend the wake and interment on Jan. 22, 2014, of my beloved ninang, Vicky Dinglasan Bellosillo, the wife of retired  Senior Justice Josue N. Bellosillo, because of the cancelled flights. I felt so guilty and depressed for days for failing to bid adieu to my godmother who was with me in the milestones of my life.)

It is clear that Laguindingan Airport has no Instrument Landing System to facilitate evening flights and whenever there is inclement weather at daytime.

And to think that the transfer to Laguindingan from Lumbia was rushed despite the plea of businessmen, civil society and local government units to delay it until all facilities shall have been in place.

It is now almost a year since the opening of Laguindingan Airport, but there is still no word about the acquisition of the much-needed runway lights and other navigational aids.

With the Ninoy Aquino International Airport always congested, coupled with the frequent flight cancellations in Laguindingan, how on earth can tourism in our country flourish with these kinds of airports?

—EDWARD B. CONTRERAS,

Cagayan de Oro City,

edcontreras88@gmail.com