CEBU CITY -- The island of Bantayan in northern Cebu will be ‘shooting up like jet-propelled airplanes’ following the recent inauguration of its airport’s expanded runway.

No less than Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia made the remark as she sees a tourism boom and an increased commercial activities in Bantayan after the expanded runway of Bantayan Island Airport in Santa Fe town was inaugurated on Wednesday, March 9.

“We’ll be shooting up like jet propelled airplanes to tell not just the country but the rest of the world, ‘Watch out, Bantayan is here,’” said Garcia.

Garcia was among the government officials who were aboard a ceremonial flight from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to the Bantayan Airport.

During the inauguration, Garcia was joined by Department of Transportation Undersecretary Roberto Lim, MCIA General Manager Julius Neri, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director Manuel Tamayo.

Former Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) Secretary Mike Dino was also around.

Garcia credited Dino for securing the needed funds for the runway’s expansion during his stint with OPAV.

The governor said the island will benefit immensely once the airport becomes operational by April.

“The future looks bright. Yes, we’ve come a long way. But it’s a long way to go,” said Garcia.

The runway has a width of about 30 meters and measures 1.2 kilometers in length that enables it to accommodate commercial flights.

The length of the runway is expandable to 1.4 kilometers, Garcia said.

The airport was launched in 2019 but its runway had to be expanded for it to accommodate commercial planes.