Rains have again delayed in the completion of the Kabankalan airport.

Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco yesterday said the heavy equipment of the provincial and city government, as well as of the Army's 542 nd Enngineering Construction Battalion cannot operate fully because of rains in the past months.

Zayco, however, said they are now gravelling the runway for use by light aircrafts, for passengers who wish to visit places of interest in southern Negros, especially in Sipalay City and Hinobaan.

As soon as the construction of the runway and other airport infrastructures are completed, Zayco said, they will install the runway lights and other equipment taken from the old Bacolod airport.

Negros Occidental Vice-Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr., who is also a pilot, had said earlier that the Kabankalan runway is capable of accommodating 30 to 50-seater planes.

The 104-hectare airport being built in Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, has a runway of about 2 kilometers. Its budget of about P200 million is jointly funded by the Kabankalan and the provincial governments

Zayco said the Kabankalan airport will be crucial in providing market access and better delivery of basic social services, and further improve economic activity and the booming tourism industry in southern Negros.*GPB

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