By Ric Obedencio
PANGLAO, Bohol, April 9 (PNA) — The erection of perimeter fence of the 220-hectare New Bohol Airport project proposed to be constructed in this 4th class town has no fencing permit which appears to have violated certain regulations, Engr. Rogelio Bonao, building official, said in an exclusive interview.
He said that based on law the town requires every construction of structures or fencing within the town’s territorial jurisdiction for permit why can’t the big project like the airport could not apply for the said permit.
He said that after he knew this sometime last year his office has served notice to the contractor to apply for and comply with the fencing permit but the notice remained unheeded until today.
Based on his information, he said, the contractor whom he forgot to identity, made the fencing project sub-contracted by a local contractor.
The said contractor allegedly asked for “help” from the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), which is the main agency responsible for the airport project, to intervene.
Bonao said that he was told by the DOTC representative, that the said perimeter fence made of concrete posts and barbed wire erected around the airport site is just “temporary.” The DOTC official, whose he can’t he can’t remember, said that the fence would soon be replaced by concrete materials, he said.
He explained that fencing permit is required in the construction of fence using concrete posts and barbed wire, except for light materials. And the concerned people fencing his property using light materials should inform the building office for documentation purposes.
Upon learning this, municipal officials led by Mayor Leonila Montero and Vice-Mayor Pedro Fuertes conducted an ocular inspection of the airport site being fenced, Bonao said. The officials, he said, appeared not happy for failure of the contractor to secure the required fencing permit.
The Sangguniang Bayan called the attention of the said contractor in the construction of the airport perimeter fence to explain why they did not apply for nor comply with the said permit, he said.
He said that the contractor allegedly promised to comply and secure the said permit but still no action was taken on the part of the latter (contractor). This prompted his office to serve notice to the contractor concerned. He hinted that his office would probably send another notice to the contractor for the same purpose.
Reports said that the construction of the NBA can start this month “after contracts for the civil works have been readied for signing this month.”
The Official Development Assistance (ODA) will bank-roll the airport project to the tune of Php7 billion plus with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) working on it, the report said.
The construction will take more than two years to finish, the report said.
It is expected that the airport’s works would start during the first quarter of the year as stated by government agencies, including JICA, the report said.
DOTC, report said, has awarded the construction contract for the new Bohol airport dubbed as “eco-airport” considering its environmental features. And the Japanese joint venture of Chiyoda Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp got the award after the bidding process, it said.
The airport in this island was conceived more than 20 years back in a bid to phase out the aging existing with narrow airport in capital Tagbilaran City to cater to the growing number of tourist arrivals in the province. (PNA)