undred Islands Intl Airport: a forsaken project?

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By Arian Bermas
Theres the B747 oh and the B737! Tons of people departing from this developed City
and arriving from different corners of the world. Then I opened my eyes and realized I
was dreaming. It was nothing but a dream, sigh.

Way back 2004 when the City Mayor first took his post, he already mentioned of a very
impressive project: the Php3.9 billion-worth Hundred Islands International Airport. The
Airport will be fully operational in 2012, he added. However up to this very day of year
2013, not any single sign of an Airport seems to be approaching.

The Airport is a joint venture of the national government through the Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the local government of the City of
Alaminos. The City government is said to be in charge of the 158.5 hectare-site
acquisition.

And thus the onset of the project arrived. The national government has allotted a budget
amounting to Php137.5 million for the purchasing of lands from the residents of
Barangays Sabangan, Pandan, and Telbang where the Airport will be built.

The first tranche of the said allotment worth Php50 million was released for the
purposes of project survey and site acquisition. In 2011, another tranche worth Php75
million was also received by the City government. With such budget releases, the City
shouldve done its part of acquiring the area. However, until now the site acquisition
task is not accomplished; there are even some farms in the site.

According to Atty. Abraham Espejo, there has been a technical malversation conducted.
Of the funds released for the site acquisition, the City spent at least Php20 million for
property, plant, and equipment- not to mention other unspecified expenses- as stated in
their cash flows. Espejo pointed out that it is illegal to splurge any amount if such budget
is clearly allocated for other precise purposes; in this case, the budget is for site
acquisition alone. Thus, its like hitting the wrong bird in one stone: spending the budget
for other purposes while abandoning the task which should be done.

Also, a Php96 million-fund was released to the City for the earth moving/ excavation
and for the construction of the road. RR Encabo Construction Inc. got the contract of the
supposed clearing operations. Nonetheless, only a little portion of the site was dug up
and flattened. And yes, remember RR Encabo, the firm which obtained much if not all of
the City construction projects. In spite of inability to perform well based on contracts, the
City did not blacklist the said firm. If this was because of the firms Chief Architect being
the brother-in-law of the Mayor, we do not know.

Further, it has been said that a feasibility study was conducted in 2002 by the Air and
Transportation Office, which found the project feasible. However, according to previous
City government officials, the said technical study was made in a different location along
Proton area, Mabini and not in the mentioned three mountainous, rugged villages.

When asked on the development of the project, the City Administrator Wilmer
Panabang repetitively retorted, DOTC na ponational po yong pondo na yon, hindi
ho project ng Alaminos City. So after all the bragging before and since nothing
happened, why not just throw the blame to the national government? Phase 1 is site
acquisition, how then could the national government move forward to the next step if the
first one isnt completed? Despicable.
http://policeheadlines.blogspot.ca/2013/02/hundred-islands-intl-airport-forsaken.html


19
SHARES

Intl airport in Pangasinan

is necessary
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:25 AM October 31, 2015

An umbrella group of 33 farmers and agriculture associations nationwide has defended

a proposal to build an international airport in Pangasinan province as not only feasible,
but necessary.
What the people of Pangasinan want is to have an international airport in the central
area of Pangasinan, making it nearer to neighboring provinces such as La Union and
Baguio, and a domestic airport in Alaminos, said Rosendo So, head of the Samahang
Industriya ng Agrikultura, in a statement.

He said to describe the proposal, made by Sen. Grace Poe during a visit to Pangasinan,
as not feasible is to ignore cases of successful multiple international airport projects in
areas smaller than the island of Luzon.
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If you compare, for example, Luzon to Taiwan, which is roughly only a third in size,
Taiwan has six international airports and 13 domestic airports, said So.

So said there is a sizable population in northern and Central Luzon who would benefit
from the proposed international airport.

During a recent visit to Pangasinan, Poe said the lack of airports in Pangasinan could be
part of the reason for the provinces low share of tourists.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/735717/intl-airport-in-pangasinan-is-

necessary#ixzz4mzmxTTW8
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Hundred Islands National Park Pangasinan

Water Sports Hundred Islands Philippines

Information About Hundreds Islands

The area known as Hundred Islands National Park, along the North shore of
the province of Pangasinan, is one of Mother Nature's most beautiful
offerings - at least 100 limestone islands spread out like a spilled barrel of
unripe strawberries floating on an aquamarine lake. Each of the Hundred
Islands is surrounded by either golden or white sand beaches and vibrant
coral gardens; some of the larger islands have small forests of lush
mangroves. Almost all of the Hundred Islands are uninhabited.
The geological formation that is Hundred Islands is similar to the famous
Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island, far to the South, except that Hundred Islands
is set mostly in the tropical waters of the Lingayen Gulf - the formation does
extend ashore to some extent but not on the grand scale of the Chocolate
Hills.

No two of the Hundred Islands are the same and investigating all the islands
by kayak could take a week or two; if you stop and snorkel at every reef
then add another month or two. If you enjoy kayaking or snorkeling then
Hundred Islands will keep you focused for the entirety of your vacation and
will almost certainly bring you back again for more.

As a long time tourist spot, Hundred Islands is well served with hotels and
guest houses in the nearby town of Alaminos, and access to the islands by
motor boat is well managed.

How To Get To Hundred Islands

To get to Hundred Islands from Metro Manila is straight forward insomuch as

there are frequent, daily air-conditioned bus services North from Metro
Manila to Alaminos town in Pangasinan. If arriving at Clark/DMIA airport
then there are also air-conditioned bus services from nearby Dau Bus
Terminal, North to Alaminos. Alternatively, you could hire a private vehicle
or drive yourself. Travel time from Metro Manila to Alaminos in Pangasinan is
five to six hours; from Clark you can reduce the journey time to Alaminos by
at least 90 minutes.

Air-conditioned buses to Hundred Islands / Alaminos: from Metro Manila to

Alaminos or from Angeles City / Dau Bus Terminal to Alaminos we suggest
Victory Liner and Five Star Bus Co..

Once in Alaminos, getting transport to the bustling boat landing is also

straight forward, with jeepneys and tricycles readily available. If you instead
choose the more tranquil, less developed Bolo Beach as your jump-off point
to Hundred Islands, then you will find transport from Alaminos a little more
challenging but the beauty of Bolo Beach (compared to the hustle and bustle
of the concrete boat landing) makes up for the challenge.

However you choose to get to Hundred Islands you can be assured of a

completely memorable view of one of Mother Nature's most spectacular
island vistas to share with your friends on the Internet.
One day in the future you may be able to fly to Alaminos . . . once they sort
out the financial affairs of the project known as the Pangasinan International
Airport / Hundred Islands Airport.

Click to Show Tour Operators

Where To Stay in Hundred Islands Accommodation

Choosing where to stay around Hundred Islands starts with deciding whether
you prefer concrete, resort-town hotels and guest houses or a peaceful,
mostly bamboo, rural beach resort accommodation.

If you prefer the bustle of the former then you have a choice of hotels and
guest house accommodations in Alaminos town or along the road to the boat
landing with prices ranging from US$20 to US$60 per night. If you prefer the
tranquility of the latter then you can expect to pay US$15 to US$40 per
night.

There is a third accommodation option, offered from Bolo Beach, and that is
to camp on one of the Hundred Islands' beaches.

Click to Show Accommodation

Getting Around Hundred Islands

To get around Hundred Islands is simple . . . you either, rent a boat to take
you on packaged tours of selected islands or, you rent a kayak, with or
without kayak guide.

A kayak guide is highly recommended, especially if you only have limited

time for your exploration; kayak guides know every island and can take you
to the islands or reefs that feature items of special interest to you. The best
trained and experienced kayaking guides are found at Bolo Beach.

THE PROPOSED airport in Alaminos City would have given tourists faster and
convenient access to the Hundred Islands National Park, one of the top attractions in
the Ilocos region. WILLIE LOMIBAO
CALL THEM projects interrupted. Pangasinan, one of the countrys biggest
provinces (land area: 536,818 hectares) that is home to more than 2.7 million people,
has long dreamed of being accessible by air and water transportation.
This vision of having an international airport in Alaminos City and an international
seaport in neighboring Sual town was almost within reach in the past years. These
projects, however, have hit a gridlock.
In Alaminos, a concrete road that crosses rice lands and hills is visible from the
highway. The road leads to the proposed site of an international airport near a beach
where passengers can view the Hundred Islands National Park.
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The concrete road ends after about 300 meters, followed by some 200 meters of
unpaved portion that leads to a hilltop that was cleared to give way to the road.
From that vantage point is a view of verdant hills, rice fields and pockets of forests.
The road was envisioned to lead to the airport site that straddles the villages of
Sabangan, Pandan and Telbang. However, this path now leads to a farm-to-market
road that traverses more rice fields with newly planted palay.
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Timetable
Had the plan pushed through, the airport should have been operating as a domestic
airport as early as 2012. The original timetable had set 2017 for the airport to
accommodate international flights.
It was former Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza who proposed the airport
project during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to boost the
tourism and industrial potentials of Pangasinan.
The national government had set aside P135.7 million so the city government could
acquire 158 ha (including 13.5 ha for access road) for the project. The Department of
Public Works and Highways
(DPWH), on the other hand, was in charge of building the access road.
The project, however, did not take off under the administration of President Aquino.
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Even the land acquisition was not perfected, said Alaminos Mayor Arthur Celeste.
Some landowners, he said, have not been paid because they are based abroad and the
P20 million set aside for compensation is kept in a trust fund.
I wrote the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) about the
project but I did not get a reply. Some months back, the DOTC staff came and asked
about the money for land acquisition. We told them the balance is still intact. But that
was it, we do not know what the national government would do about the project,
Celeste said.
Not enough traffic
He said he met with Ramon Ang, president of San Miguel Corp., to ask him if SMC
would want to continue the airport development through a private-public partnership
(PPP).
But a study undertaken by SMC showed there was not enough traffic that would be
generated by an international airport in Alaminos, he said.
Our only hope [for the project to continue] is the national government, but maybe the
next administration [can do that],
Celeste said.
The domestic airport would need P2.2 billion to build. The cost would double if the
facility is upgraded into an international airport, Celeste said.
Seaport in Sual
Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue said the desire to have an international seaport dates
back to the early 1960s, with the late Pangasinan Gov. Aguedo Agbayani pushing the
project when he represented the district in Congress.
In 2012, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) put up a commercial seaport in Sual.
However, only the first phase of the project, worth P90 million, was completed in
November that year. The port could only service flat-bottomed vessels that travel
through shallow waters.
The port has remained largely idle. The area has become a favorite spot for students
and residents to while away time and wait for sunset.
Arcinue said the facility needs to be expanded toward the sea, where water is 10 to 12
meters deep, so it can service international vessels. A third section would further
extend the wharf to the sea, where the depth is from 18 to 25 meters.
The provincial government, through Gov. Amado Espino Jr., wanted to finance the
projects second phase but negotiations between provincial and town officials fell
through, Arcinue said.
A foreign investor wanted to put up an international seaport in the town but this would
be built in another village. Celeste said the project needs $1.2 billion to complete.
Politics
Both Arcinue and Celeste rued how politics get in the way of big ticket projects that
boost tourism and economic growth of the province.
Perhaps because the airport was proposed under the Arroyo administration, the
Aquino administration did not touch it, Celeste said.
Arcinue said Pangasinan may have the best leaders but the province has been left
behind in terms of infrastructure development.
A FATHER and his son pass through an unfinished road that is part of a shelved
airport development project in Alaminos City in Pangasinan. YOLANDA SOTELO
We have a voting strength of more than a million. But why cant we use that strength
to oblige national officials to put up major infrastructure projects here? We are bigger
than La Union and Ilocos Norte but they have seaports and airports, he said.
Arcinue said a port is important because shipping cargo by sea from Metro Manila to
Pangasinan would be cheaper than transporting goods by land.
A seaport would also mean jobs and taxes for the town and the province, he said.
Celeste said he believed an international airport is needed in Alaminos City as it hosts
the Hundred Islands National Park, one of the top tourism attractions in the Ilocos
region.
Pangasinan has three airstrips that accommodate light planesin Rosales, Binalonan
and the capital Lingayen.
But Alaminos is the center of Pangasinans tourism area and it is less that an hour to
reach Lingayen by land, Celeste said.
He said many tourists are discouraged from going to Pangasinan because of the travel
time from airports in Metro Manila and Clark Freeport in Pampanga.
Even from the airport in Pampanga, it takes three hours to reach Alaminos. Some
travelers even take longer as they get lost, passing from Tarlac to Urdaneta City, then
to Dagupan City then to Alaminos. With an airport, it would take less than an hour to
reach Alaminos from Manila or Clark, he said.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/710484/airport-seaport-projects-hit-gridlock-

in-pangasinan#ixzz4mzqS1CpA
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The Alaminos Airport (also being called the Hundred Islands International Airport)[1] in
the Philippines got its approval in 2007, but its location was not decided upon until 2009 within the
area of Alaminos, Pangasinan. Construction began in March 2010 and it was expected to open for
domestic flights by 2012-13,[2] but now set for 2016-17[3] and for international flights by 2022,
encompassing an area of 158.5 ha within the barangays of Sabangan, Pandan, and Telbang. It has
an estimated cost of 3.9 billion Philippine pesos. Currently the project has been stalled for various
reasons. [

Hundred Islands in Alaminos Pangasinan

According to news, a memorandum of agreement was recently signed between

Alaminos Airport Development Project by the Department of Transportation and
Communication (DOTC) and the Alaminos City Government.

Its indeed an honor and privilege for our city to host the first commercial
airport for the province of Pangasinan, Mayor Braganza said, pointing out that
Phase 1 of the project alone will bring a total investment of P2.2 billion to the
city.

Noting that the the country is

strategically located in the heart of Asia-Pacific, Mendoza said that from the
Philippines, one can go anywhere in the Pacific within five hours.
Mendoza also said that adding an airport in Pangasinan will make the country as
an ideal hub of Cargo in the Asia Pacific region. The Alaminos Airport
Development Project was actually announced in 2007 during the State of the
Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The Philippine Department of Transportation and Communications recently

appropriated P150 million under its Infrastructure Program in the General
Appropriations Act. With the agreement finally signed, Phase 1 of the P 2.2-
billion investment will soon be started, Mendoza said.

Its really high time to have a commercial airport in Pangasinan. As mentioned

by Mayor Nani (nickname of Braganza) that smaller provinces have more than
one airport, Pangasinan, one of the biggest provinces, therefore deserves to
have one.

The Philippine DOTC will also conduct a ground survey to establish the final area
covered by the airport. On the part of the city government, it will conduct
negotiation with lot owners for the acquisition of lands.

Its official: Alaminos airport junked

September 6, 2015 Sunday Punch
THE construction of the Alaminos Airport is no longer considered a priority of
the national government.
This was confirmed by National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA) Regional Director Nestor Rillon who said the project was initially
discontinued after the Department of Transportation and communication
(DOTC) noted that no airline was willing to fly the route Manila-Alaminos-
Manila for fear they can not make break-even in their costs.
Rillon said the airline companies were not confident that the tourist traffic to
Hundred Islands will not sustain daily flights to-and-fro Alaminos City.
Consequently, DOTC is constructing airports in other areas where tourist
traffic is greater than in Alaminos and therefore, more profitable for airlines.
Nonetheless, Rillon said the Regional Development Council, where he is vice-
chairman, is still considering adopting a resolution asking DOTC to
reconsider its decision to phase out the Alaminos Airport.
Land acquisition for the proposed runway was completed three years ago
during the last and final term of then Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza
using the initial fund released by DOTC.
At that same time, the Department of Pubic Works and Highways began
constructing and completed some of the airports access roads.
Rillon said that the completed airport roads will not be wasted because these
can be used by farmers to transport their produce to the city market. The
proposed airport was set to be constructed on a rice field.
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe who spoke before members of the Dagupan
and Urdaneta cities Chambers of Commerce last August 26, still proposes
the construction not only of a domestic airport but an international airport in
Pangasinan but to be located in Sta. Barbara town. (Leonardo Micua)
MANILA, Philippines - A coalition of 33 farmers and agri-associations criticized Liberal Party standard
bearer Manuel Roxas II for rejecting a proposal to build an international airport in Pangasinan.

In a statement, Rosendo So, president of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, said the airport, which
was proposed by independent presidential bet Sen. Grace Poe, is not only feasible but necessary.

As a former DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) head, he knew too well the
project is feasible based on NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) studies, So said.

Its not a waste of money, but loss of opportunities for Pangasinan, which has great potentials to grow
economically, he said.

Roxas said the proposed airport is not practical because there will not be enough passengers.

So said Pangasinan has a population of almost 3.8 million and the proposed airport would bost travel to
the north.

Nation ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Alaminos City finally chosen as site of commercial airport in
Pangasinan
September 1, 2009 10:29 am
By Leonardo V. Micua
ALAMINOS CITY, Sept. 1 It's final. A commercial airport will soon be constructed by the government not in any
other place in Pangasinan, but in Alaminos City.
Construction of the airport in Alaminos City is now nearing reality as gleaned from the ongoing bidding being
conducted in Manila by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).
Mayor Hernani Braganza said being bidded out to local and international contractors until September 30 this year is
the construction of the airport's runway with an approved budget of P96.5 million.
He said upon the completion of the bidding process, the contract to build the project will soon be awarded to the
winning bidder.
We are also awaiting the final schedule of the signing of the memorandum of agreement so that we could also
proceed with the land acquisition of the proposed runway," Braganza added.
The Bid Notice Abstract for the project has recently been advertised in the Philippine Government Electronic
Procurement System (PHILGEPS), said Braganza.
It was learned that local as well as international construction companies have submitted their respective bids in their
desire to construct the first ever commercial airport in Pangasinan.
Based on the results of the study earlier conducted by DOTC and Philipps Technical Consultants Corporation
(PTCC), Alaminos was found out to be the best location of a commercial airport, chosen from eight possible sites
within the province.
What made the airport project in the city economically and technically viable is the presence of the Hundred Island
National Park, a world-class tourist destination, according to Thelma Mauricio, PTCC vice president for Business
Development.
It was learned that Alaminos City's strategic location in the North Luzon Agri-Business Quadrangle (NLAQ) was
among the many factors why the city was chosen as the site of the project over the other proposed sites.
Other areas looked into by experts were the towns of Lingayen, Sta. Barbara, Rosales, Bani and Binalonan. But
Alaminos City edged them in many aspects, even technically.
Braganza thanked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for fulfilling her promise to put up an airport in Pangasinan,
which she did when she delivered her State of the City Address in 2007.
Im very happy for our citymates who waited so long for this dream to become a reality," said Braganza, thanking his
constituents for their prayers, patience and for believing that their city will finally make it in the end.
Braganza noted that for the first time in citys political and economic history, a commercial airport will soon be built in
the city.
What is important is that the airport is not just for Alaminos. It is for the whole province of Pangasinan, he stressed.
Sinasabi ko nga po dati, kahit hindi po sa Alaminos basta huwag lang pong masyadong malayo sa Hundred Islands,
payag na kami," he continued.
Having an airport in the city and in the province, according to the mayor, could lure more tourists to visit Pangasinans
famous scenic spots and historical sites.
He said Alaminos could draw the experience of Aklan which is visited by more than one million local and foreign
tourists each year due to its famous Boracay Resort Island.
He lamented that despite its proximity to Metro Manila, Pangasinan could only attract thousands of tourists during
peak tourism season due to its lack of a commercial airport.
But with the a commercial airport to be built in our city, it will make the province more accessible to tourists," the
mayor noted.
In less than an hour, he added, tourists and investors are already here in our province.
"This (airport project) will likewise make the investments of our city mates more economically viable, he pointed out.
Braganza said another advantage of having a commercial airport is the fact that the city might be able to attract
businessmen to invest on modern facilities that will soon provide services to local and foreign tourists.
Braganza said the airport project will not just generate thousands of new jobs for Alaminians and Pangasinenses but
will also play a key role in boosting the local economy.
Weve seen the economic impact of an airport to all the cities or provinces that have it, he said.
We expect Alaminos, our Kabaleyans and provincemates to benefit fully from this project to improve the quality of
their life, the mayor added. (PNA) LDV/lvmicua/rma