SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 20, 2009) – Filipino engineers are hurrying up the completion of renovation of the airport in Sulu province in the southern Philippines.
Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said the renovation is expected to be completed by August this year. If completed, huge planes such as 737s and cargo aircrafts will be able to fly and land safely, he said.
Tan said the project, which began last year, cost about $3 million and is funded by the United States. He added the project was made possible because of President Gloria Arroyo who sought the funding for the rehabilitation of the airport.
“We expect this airport renovation to be completed by August. With a bigger airport, more aircrafts can now fly and land safely in Sulu and the project will surely hasten trade and commerce,” he said.
He thanked Washington and President Arroyo for the project.
The airport’s runway, which was previously 1,800-meters, has been expanded to more than 2,000 meters so it could accommodate bigger passenger planes not only from Manila or Zamboanga, but from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei that make up the East Asia Growth Area, a sub-regional economic cooperation initiative in Southeast Asia that included the Philippines.
Tan said the President pledged more development projects for Sulu. “The President has promised us more projects for the people,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
