Tacloban airport ‘Pope ready’

TACLOBAN CITY -— After having been closed to airbus planes, the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport where the papal plane will touchdown from Manila in the morning of Jan. 17 is open once again for much better operation, airport manager Antonio Alfonso said in an interview over local radio dyVL.Alfonso said airport is now ready for regular air bus flights, accommodating more passengers with the repair of the full expanse of the runway strip completed on Dec. 22. Half of the runway was closed since September last year to undergo major repair after it was destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 and yet again slightly damaged by typhoon Ruby early last month.Fast tracking of repairPalo Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du in a papal visit press briefing held recently at the Palo Chancery disclosed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ efforts to address the concern.He said the national government assured them that the repair would be completed on time. He announced that three planes have been chartered for the Pope’s trip to Tacloban. The Philippine Airlines is the official papal carrier during the Holy Father’s visit to the country.In October last year, the Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Tacloban-Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (TFCCCI) passed a joint manifesto to Malacañang requesting President Benigno Aquino III to fast track of the repair of the airport.Go Tic Ching, president of TFCCCI, told CBCPNews in an interview that the business sector is immensely affected by the delayed repair of the runway. He believes that the strong lobbying of these groups could have been one of the reasons that prompted Malacañang to push for the airport’s quick repair before the Pope’s coming.Alfonso said the airport management originally targeted to complete the repair long before the Christmas holidays.‘Worst case scenario’The weather, however, impeded the continuous earthwork at the airport, especially since typhoon Ruby smashed into parts of the airport last month.Engr. Dalmacio Grafil, publisher of Leyte Samar Daily Express and member of the Information and Social Communications committee of the local steering committee on the papal visit in the Archdiocese of Palo, was emphatic about his apprehension. The worst scenario that will happen is that the Pope will not be able to touchdown at the DZR Airport on Jan. 17 should the repair be not complete on time,” he said.Alfonso relieved worries that after the papal visit the airport will be closed again to airbus flights for continued rehabilitation works.He assured the public that although the rehabilitation will continue after the papal visit, he will request the airlines to continue providing flights using their airbuses.‘Like a cathedral’Alfonso once again requests the public’s extended patience with the inconvenience the rehabilitation might cause. The work, he added, will only be for about two weeks.He informed, too, that as part of the requirements of the papal Mass, the airport management will make the designated part of the airport as solemn as possible, virtually like a cathedral”.This is specifically located at the newly-cemented area adjacent to the present airport grounds.Security arrangements are reportedly being made to set up jamming devices at the airport to make the papal Mass solemn, peaceful and orderly and wherever the Pope will be present in his visit to Tacloban and Palo.(Eileen Nazareno-Ballesteros/CBCPNews)