TACLOBAN CITY- Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has expressed his opposition to any possible transfer of the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport out from this city.
According to him, transferring the location of the DZR Airport will only cause delay for Tacloban’s complete recovery from the massive destruction caused by super typhoon Yolanda.
“Napaka-importante sa isang lugar na yung regional airport ay nasa kanila. So, ibig kung sabihin, kung mawawala sa Tacloban ang airport, mas babagal ang rehabilitation. Dahil kung nasaan man ang airport, nandoon ang development,” Cayetano said.
“So, parang injustice naman yun sa Tacloban; instead na matulungan mo, nagkaroon ng second disaster yun,” the senator added.
Cayetano was in Tacloban on June 27 where he met group of drivers and operators of motorcycle for hire and barangay leaders of the city.
Earlier, former senator and now rehabilitation czar Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said that the DZR Airport, due to its proximate location to the sea, could be transfer outside Tacloban.
Meantime, Cayetano asked the government to come up with an “electronic score board” identifying progress of works conducted in areas hit by Yolanda.
Cayetano said that he find it surprising that Malacañang has reported that about 300 structures were identified to be repaired, damaged due to Yolanda, and yet the local officials where these structures appeared to be unaware.
“Kung natandaaan ninyo, more than 300 structures were approved ng gobyerno for repair. But hanggang ngayon, pagnakakausap ko ang mga mayors, diri rin sila makasagot,” Cayetano said.
With the government putting up the electronic score board or roadmap in the Internet, not only the local officials will know but the public as well, Cayetano said.(JOEY A. GABIETA)
