TACLOBAN CITY – The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) has expressed concern over the delay in the completion of the P759-million terminal building at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport here.
Private Sector Representative for Multimedia Communication Buenaventura Go-Soco lamented that over P5 billion had been lost for over a year of delay in the airport's facelifting in terms of tourist receipts.
Soco said that the RDC has already passed resolutions urging the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the MAC Builders to hasten the project.
POLICE patrol the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City. (AVSEU Eight FB)
"It's up to the implementing agency (DOTr) to look into the law of termination of contracts. Because the contract is not being terminated, there is no loss to the contractor. Had they terminated (the contract), its performance bond would answer for the cost," he said.
Pocholo Franco, RDC private sector representative for tourism, and president of the Eastern Visayas Tourism Association (EVTA) Inc., said DZR Airport's new passenger terminal building construction is beset with internal problems and the contractor's huge slippage which went unchecked by the implementing agency.
As of August 2023, the project which started in December 2020 is 57.18 percent complete with a negative slippage of 20.20 percent. It was supposed to be completed on May 29, 2022.
"In our project monitoring visitations, catchup plans by the Ormoc Contractor were submitted. Every monthly Region Project Monitoring Committee Meeting, Catch up Plans, and Variation Orders are submitted which we thought would only delay the completion of Phase 1 of the Project," Franco said.
However, he said that there are still Phases 2 and 3 and lot acquisitions relative to the airport expansion that are yet to be made.
"Every day of delay is wasted opportunities and lost revenues for our region. Business opportunities and employment are likewise gone. Our hope and our dream for vibrant tourism, more visitors, more employment, and inclusive growth rest on the completion of our own international airport," he stressed.
CAAP explained that the delay was caused by the lack of construction materials for formworks and staging to catch up on activities that have been delayed from the original schedule.
It added that its manpower loading is insufficient to catch up on required activities on site.
DZR Airport is ranked as the seventh busiest airport in the country in 2022 with 36 daily flights between Manila and Cebu.