Reason to keep
the Bacolod Airport

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Thailand is now embroiled in a problem that people of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City may also find themselves in in the not so distant future. This involves the brand-new, ultra-modern, hi-tech, and whatever else you may call it, international airport of the country called the Suvernavhumi International Airport located in Bangkok, that had been inaugurated and opened only in September last year. The opening was accomplished with a "big bang" as international media reports described it.

With its opening, the government also declared closed the old airport called the Don Muang and it was announced with pride that the new facility would be able to handle about 40 million people a year.

All this happened during the administration of then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who, as we all know, has never been allowed to return to Thailand after a trip to Europe. His office has been taken over by a military led group that seems to concentrate its work on justifying Thaksin's perpetual removal from office. But yesterday there was surprising news from the international wire services.

The present dispensation in Thailand has announced that it is opening once again the mothballed Don Muang Airport because of some defects discovered in the new one. These include cracks in both runways and taxiways, as well as the discovery of massive graft and corruption in its construction. And so, it was also announced, the old airport is being refurbished now and will be open for business in about 45 days.

Why should the case of the Thai airports be of great interest to us? We are at the moment awaiting the completion also of a new international airport for the province that has already met its baptism of fire with the recent bombing of a facility by rebel elements. Also, there have been hints of some not-so-transparent transactions involving the construction which have yet to be proven, of course.

But we already have the example of the new Ninoy Aquino International Airport that had not even been inaugurated yet when a portion of its roof collapsed. Also, there are some strong hints of corruption having gotten past the watchdogs of the project.

Are we, therefore very sure that the new airport in Silay will be free of similar problems once opened for business?

There several sectors in Bacolod City pushing for the retention of the present Bacolod Airport. They say that even if the new one proves foolproof, an alternate airport can still cater to businesses in transporting goods, or maybe to tourists who wish to move from nearby islands to our increasing tourism destinations.

Perhaps we should make stronger representations for the retention of the Bacolod Airport. We can always point to Thailand, and even the NAIA experiences as justifications.*