Contractor assures airport project still within timetable

4/26/2006. The News Today.

Iloilo -- Taisei Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV) contractor of the P6.2 billion New Iloilo Airport Development Project (NIADP) in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area assured that by March next year they will already turn-over the project to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for commissioning and testing.

TSJV's Engr. Yushikawa made the assurance during Monday's ocular inspection made by Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. along with Capitol beat reporters.

In its progress report, the Japan Airport Consultants, Inc. (JAC) set the overall physical accomplishment as of March this year at 46 per cent.


This include the civil works consisting of construction of runway and taxiway and airport utilities like the power supply system, standby generating system, and sewage treatment plant, among others.

While the building works physical accomplishment was set at 48 per cent. The building works include the passenger terminal building, control tower and operation building, administration building, maintenance building, fire rescue station, and cargo terminal building.

The air navigation system physical accomplishment, on the other hand, was set at 24 per cent.

Yushikawa said by December this year they expect the completion of major structures in the 188 hectare airport project which started construction in April 2004.

The Japanese engineer said, at present they incur a slippage of 26% due to uncontrollable circumstances but they are working double time to catch up with the project's deadline.

Yushikawa added they are taking advantage of the summer season by deploying workers twenty four hours or three shifts a day.

It was learned that constant raining delayed the project's timetable last year.

Yushikawa said the new airport is expected to be fully operational by the month of June 2007.

Tupas was impressed by the progress of the works at the airport site.

He believes the TSJV could meet their target of finishing the project before the year ends.

The NIADP is equipped with state of the art facilities that include instrument landing system, passenger boarding bridges, among others.

It is said to accommodate the landing of up to Boeing 747-400 aircrafts which are commonly used in international flights.

To note, the NIADP became a subject of congressional investigations last year due to alleged anomalies relative to its implementation.

Tupas along with other local officials and representatives of the contractors appeared in the congressional hearings which wrapped up December 2005.

The findings of the said congressional investigation is expected to be out anytime this period.

Source: The News Today. 4/26/2006.