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Braganza: Alaminos Airport will trigger development in Pangasinan
Date:
March 24, 2010
With barely four months, before her term ends, Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has fully fulfilled her promise to build an airport in Pangasinan which will be hosted by Alaminos City.
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Assistant Secretary Guillermo Leonardo and Alaminos City Mayor Hernani A. Braganza led yesterday the groundbreaking of the Alaminos Airport Development Project, the first commercial airport in the province of Pangasinan, at the airport site in Barangay Sabangan here.
Witnessing the historic event were Vice Mayor Teofilo Humilde Jr. and the members of the city council namely Joselito Fontelera, Ma. Angela Braganza, Earl James Aquino, Carol Dizon Sison, Orlando Go, Constante Carasi, Oscar Boling, Cirilo Radoc, and Felimon Bacala Jr. and the Association of Barangay Captains headed by city councilor Helen Bumagat, Mrs. Cynthia Dizon, wife of Board Member Danilo Dizon, heads of different line agencies based in the city and former mayor Eduardo Fontelera, Burgos town mayor Domingo Doctor, and the land owners and department head in the city government.
Asec. Leonardo, who represented his former boss, DOTC top honcho and now Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, congratulated the people of Alaminos for this landmark project.
“I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that this project was realized through the initiative of honorable city mayor Mayor Hernani Braganza,” he narrated.
“He (Braganza) was very patient and did a good job explaining to our former secretary Leandro Mendoza and to President Gloria Macapal Arroyo the importance of this project to Alaminos City and the province of Pangasinan,” continued the assistant secretary.
“He has shown the great benefits of the project especially in tourism development, the arrival of more investors that will start new business here and create job opportunities for the people.”
“(With this airport project,) the dream of our topnotch mayor in improving the quality of life of his citymates, will soon be realized.”
Commitment fulfilled
Leonardo likewise read the message of Sec. Mendoza to Alaminians and the people of western Pangasinan.
“To Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, to the city council and other local officials, it is my pleasure to be with you today during this milestone- the Groundbreaking Ceremonies of the Alaminos City Airport Development Project,” said Sec. Mendoza.
“Today is the start of the fulfillment of this commitment as we hold the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Alaminos Airport Development Project,” the message stated further.
Sec. Mendoza said the construction of Alaminos Airport is in line with the President’s thrust for the provision of more appropriate and adequate infrastructure support for creation sufficiently adequate linkages of Agriculture and Tourism centers with other regions.
“This project is also envisioned to spur economic opportunities for the beautiful City of Alaminos. It will make this city, the home of the breathtaking Hundred Islands National park, more accessible to tourists.”
And with the construction of the Alaminos Airport, more business opportunities would open up and economic spillovers are anticipated to benefit Pangasinan as well as the adjacent provinces of Tarlac, Zambales and the whole of the North Luzon Agri-Business Quadrangle.
The Executive Secretary gave his assurance that the administration of PGMA, through the DOTC, will actualize its objectives to link the Philippine Islands through the modernization and development of various airports and seaports so they expeditiously, efficiently and effectively move people, goods, and services and to sustain and bolster our country’s economic advancement and facilitate the integration of our national community.
“May this project serve as an inspiration to foster a culture of unity and solidarity that will facilitate the realization of our national development goals,”
In her 2007 State-of-the-Nation Address, Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made a commitment to the people of Pangasinan to build an airport here in Alaminos City.
A surprise request
Mayor Braganza recalled how it all started in December of 2006 during a meeting with the lady president in Baguio City.
At that time, the former Agrarian Reform and Press Secretary said, President Arroyo is asking the local chief executives from different provinces in region 1 what specific project they would like to have in their area.
Most of the mayors and governors present, according to him, were requesting road network projects, bridges, school buildings, irrigation facilities and other infra-projects.
“When my turn came, Her Excellency asked me, Nani what do you want in Alaminos?”
In the presence of former governor Victor Agbayani and the mayors in Pangasinan, the mayor replied, “Madam President, huwag po kayong magagalit at mabibigla at sana mapagbigyan niyo ang kahilingan na aking kababayan na baka puwede po ang airport sa Alaminos.”
Braganza explained to the President that an airport in his city will benefit the whole province of Pangasinan.
He cited that most provinces around Pangasinan now have seaports and airports and have overtaken his province in terms income and better socio-economic opportunities despite boasting vast natural resources being one of the biggest province in the country.
Most of mayors where surprised but not the President who felt it’s high time Pangasinan will have its first commercial airport of international standard.
And so few months later, PGMA announced in her SONA that an airport will be built in Alaminos.
Its construction was funded this year under the General Appropriations Act and the first phase will hopefully be completed by 2012-2013.
Alaminos has it
With the President’s pronouncement, all of a sudden many LGU’s also wanted an airport in their respective area.
And this was the reason for the delay on the project implementation, said the visionary mayor, who admitted that he lost some friends in public service because of this highly contentious project.
“It’s understandable why they’re lobbying to host an airport because of its great benefit,” he added.
Braganza then suggested to the DOTC to conduct feasibility studies (FS) to settle once and for all the issue as to where to put up an airport in the province.
The DOTC, through the Aviation Transportation Office, visited eight sites for the FS, one in Bani, Lingayen, and Sta. Barbara, three sites in the City of Alaminos and two more in eastern Pangasinan.
It was found out that Alaminos is the best site and is economically viable to build an airport here because of its potentials in tourism, agriculture and trade and commerce.
The result of the FS might not totally silence the mayor’s critics but what is more important is that it had proven that Braganza and other city officials and its people where never wrong in asking President Arroyo for this major investment project, which could cost around P 2.1 B once completed as an international airport.
And PGMA made the right decision to build an airport in her second home province.
Trigger project
“That is why we are gathered here today," said Braganza.
“This project will bring about development not only to Alaminos", he added. "This is a trigger project; it will generate the development of many industries in the province.”
The mayor said he had many travels abroad and all over the Philippines just to convince investors to come to Alaminos.
In a short period of five years, new commercial buildings, including hotels and restaurants, were put up by balikbayans who have decided to come home and invest their fortunes to their beloved city.
"As their mayor, my promise to them is that we will have to ensure the profitability of their investments to further job opportunities for the city residents and better revenue for the city."
"With these major investments, we can now solve the single biggest problem not only of alaminos, but of the entire country and that is poverty,” stressed Braganza.
“Our people will live in dignity," he added.
“There must be growth with equity and that the local economy must reach and raise the standard of living of our people in the community.”
Thank you Madam President
The mayor thanked all those who worked hard and sacrificed to help realize this noble dream.
“I congratulate and salute the President of the republic for continuing the project even if we’re no longer partymates, said the mayor. Maraming salamat po Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”
“We owe this project to her (PGMA), we are very glad that our President understands the true sentiments of our people,” he continued.
Braganza said the Alaminos Airport is a developmental project.
“This is not a political project despite the fact that I have left my old political party,” he pointed.
“I then urged all our leaders in the province to unite because we now have the airport that will benefit the whole province of Pangasinan.”
Braganza had extended gratitude to the land owners for their sacrifices and for supporting the project.
“They never gave us any problem because they realized the true value of this project to the city and their children that is why I say once again that as along as we are united in our thoughts, actions, emotions impossible are nothing," he said. "There is no problem that can’t be resolved if we all work as a team.”
The DOTC has released last January P 50M as initial funding for the survey and acquisition of the airport site. The said amount was the first tranche of the P 135.7 M budget for the site acquisition.
The mayor likewise publicly thanked his wife, Madam Stella Jaro Braganza for always being there to support and comfort him and for putting her trust in him that this project will be realized in his term.
He also thanked the members of the city council for remaining steadfast despite all the problems that they have encountered in pursuing the said project.
“We thank the DOTC not because they have chosen our city but for giving Pangasinan and the eight other sites in the province the opportunity to host an airport like what will now rise in Alaminos,” he said.
“Thanks to our barangay officials and to the people of Alaminos," he added. "We dedicate this project to you, said the mayor to his citymates. This is our humble expression of our love, utmost concern and appreciation of your trust and confidence to your local officials.”
Complementing the seaport
The Alaminos Airport Development Project is said to complement the Sual International Seaport, said Engr. Roel Anoñuevo, head of the city planning and development office.
“Our airport will strengthen the viability of Sual seaport which was also ground broken last month,” he added.
The construction of an airport in Alaminos and an international seaport aside from the coal-fired power plant in Sual, Pangasinan’s first district now has the major infrastructure facilities in the Region I which will soon mean massive development for the province in the future.
The airport would also lead to the realization of Tri-City Ferry System Project involving the cities of Alaminos, San Fernando and Dagupan and other important projects that would spur development in North Luzon Agri-Business Quadrangle.
Alaminos airport will first operate as domestic airport and will be upgraded into an international airport starting in 2017.
It will occupy 158.5 hectares in barangays Sabangan, Pandan and Telbang including access roads to barangay Cabatuan and San Vicente.
Lasting legacy
And so we should start, spreading the good news, said Vice Mayor Teofilo Humilde Jr.
“Let our detractors know that in Alaminos, we are realizing our visions and programs for our citymates," added the three-termer vice mayor who is gunning one of the seats in the provincial board this upcoming elections.
“We don’t just plan, we see to it that they are being implemented with the support of our people," he said. "We have started the construction of our new city hospital, Pangasinan State University Campus last year and now our commercial airport. And soon, we will also build our new city hotel to cater to growing number of tourists and guests that visit our city.”
Humilde said “every sector in the city and that of the first district will directly benefit from this airport project and credit is due to our dear Mayor Braganza who fought for this project to rise in Alaminos to the very end.”
This is no longer a dream but a reality, added two-term former mayor and nine-year vice mayor Eduardo Fontelera, who as one of those former leaders who supported the city’s plan to host the airport.
“But we still have a lot of work to do for this is a multi-million project,” who is set to reclaim his old post this May polls as SP presiding officer to help Mayor Braganza ensure sustained economic progress of the city and a better future for the 80, 000 Alaminians.
If we talk of infrastructure, we always say it must take-off from the ground. And for this giant project, this ground breaking rites is the best way to start it, he added.
Fontelera noted that the construction of an airport in the city is basically part of the grand design conceived Mayor Braganza then the congressman and former town mayor Jun Rivera, municipal councilors and himself and the townspeople when they pushed for the cityhood of Alaminos starting in late 90’s.
“Being a city is a first step towards attaining our noble visions for our citymates,” he added.
“We knew that when Alaminos became the fourth city in the province plus the fact that it is the heart of western Pangasinan, an airport will be constructed during our life time,” he recalled.
“And this is it. Congratulations to Mayor Braganza and the people of Alaminos and our province, this airport project will soon be one of his legacies to the city and the province of Pangasinan.” (CIO)
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