The Air Transportation Office said that, based on Administrative Order No. 5, Series of 1967, issued 40 years ago, no aerodrome or airport should be constructed within a radius of 24-kilometers of an operational aerodrome where turbo-jet airplanes operate and within a radius of 10-kilometers of an operational aerodrome.

ATO officer-in-charge Daniel Dimagiba was responding to the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 478, Series 2007, requesting for the retention of the old Bacolod Airport 's operation even after the new airport in Silay becomes operational.

In his letter to Elmer Soneja, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Project Development of the Department of Transportation and Communication dated Oct. 15, 2007 , Dimagiba also said that a big portion of the Bacolod airport property is owned by a private entity inclusive of terminal buildings, vehicular parking areas and portion of runway and apron.

Rodolfo Alvarez, one of the convenors of the Retain the Bacolod Airport Movement, however, pointed out that the ATO Memorandum was issued at a time when there were no airport control towers yet. He cited that the airports in Singapore are about 7.72 kilometers apart while Taiwan , which is almost the size of Negros , has 22 airports.

THE MORE, THE BETTER

Meanwhile, Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab yesterday said he believes two airports can co-exist and that the more airports, the better, as long as these are viable. For tourism purposes, anything that will contribute to tourism development, they will support, he said.

“For a tourist whose stay in the country is limited, you cannot expect them to spend so much travel time. You have to get them to their destination right away,” Palayab said.

Being connected to airports all over the country is the fastest way of bringing them in, he added.

Palabyab, who is in Bacolod for the 7-day Western Visayas Tourism Assembly, said they would like to see this happening in the Philippines because the country has more to offer. He said the country's tourism products are just waiting to become successful.

We just have to know how to make use of these resources, Palayab said. A lot of them are still potentials and we have to convert them into actual tourism destinations that generate economy for the local host community, he said.

TOURISM EPICENTER

Palabayab said the President has identified Central Philippines as the epicenter of Philippine tourism. Statistics show that most of the more than 90 percent of tourists entering Manila are found visiting this region, he said.

They have discovered that Boracay has really drawn in more investments and because of that, Kalibo has become host to international flights coming from Korea and very soon from China , Palayab said.

He said very soon perhaps, Bacolod will become part of this tourism circuit because even Tuguegarao is already host to planes coming from Macao . There is a lot of things going on in this part of the country, he added.

Palayab said unless they get the local government and local community support, no project being hosted by the national government will become successful at all.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he believes that, in terms of tourist arrivals, the number one tourist destination is Boracay.

For us, it is something to consider because of the “spill over” principle Bacolod will be a beneficiary, he said. In fact, that is one of the reasons they are pushing for the non-closure of the Bacolod airport, he said. They believe it is an airport that can be used for smaller aircrafts that can transport tourists from Boracay to Bacolod , among others, he added.

FEARLESS FORECAST

When asked for an update on the move to retain the old airport, “My fearless forecast is that it will be retained,” Leonardia said.

Tourism regional director Edwin Trompeta said the Tourism Assembly will showcase, promote and highlight the tourism attraction, services and facilities of the destinations.

He also announced that Leonardia is one of the five recipients of a lifetime achievement award at the Western Visayas Tourism regional achievement awards on Wednesday because of his performance and achievement as former tourism coordinator, former vice mayor and Mayor of Bacolod which is evident by the declaration of Bacolod as the Most Business-Friendly City in the Philippines today.*CGS

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