Members of the city’s technical and monitoring team, which was created by Mayor John Dalipe to oversee the land acquisition for the New Zamboanga International Airport Project, met again Tuesday, May 28, as they discussed the latest updates to the lot purchase and other relevant issues pertaining to the project.

Presided over by City Administrator Atty. Wendell Sotto, the meeting’s discussion centered on data management and
monitoring for fund utilization and the status of lots affected by the 175-hectare airport project in Mercedes-Talabaan-Zambowood area in the east coast, about 17 kilometers from the city proper.

The NZIA project traverses through 391 parcels of land, of which 11 are subject for expropriation proceedings as the owners had refused the city government’s offer to buy at the appraised value.

To date, 285 lot titles are under processing requirements stage, 47 paid for 1 st payment, 35 fully paid, 29 still with issues and 11 for expropriation proceedings.

Also present were Atty. Rochelle Magnolia F. Tamin, representing the office of District 2 congressman and Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe, City Planning and Development Officer Ma. Luz Agbayani, Assistant City Planning and Development Officer Jessie Christopher Lapinid and representatives from the different agencies and offices concerned.

The new airport project, which would cost the government around P13.9 billion, is expected to be a world-class infrastructure with state-of-the-art facilities, featuring a terminal building, six jet bridges, a control tower, taxiways and aprons, and a 3,440-meter runway to accommodate heavier aircraft. Installation of lighting and security equipment is also part of the plan. Once completed, the new airport is expected to accommodate eight million passengers a year.-(Vic Larato)