Legarda airs concern over airport expansion project

MANILA, Philippines - Environment advocate and Sen. Loren Legarda has expressed alarm over a plan to level a hill to make way for an extension of the runway in Caticlan airport.

Legarda, chairman on oversight com-mittee on climate change, said a “micro-climatic change” due to leveling of the hill is very alarming as “it will adversely impact on our forests, wetland and water quality.”

“I am particularly concerned about the environmental disasters that our experts from Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) warn about if the Caticlan airport project pushes through,” the senator, who is gunning for vice president, pointed out.

MGB officials have said that the disaster would lead to “micro-climatic change” or disappearance of the entire white beaches around Caticlan and Boracay reportedly within 20 years. Dr. Ric Javelosa, a morphologist of MGB, explained that because of its location, the Caticlan airport is not fit for upgrading due to a high probability of a local tsunami and to variable ground shaking.

On the climate change issue, Boracay island has excellent micro-climatic condi-tions which are responsible for the forma-tion and replenishment of its world re-nowned powdery white sand, Javelosa said.

Legarda said “the environment should not be sacrificed in the name of progress and other economic gains.”

She said the project must be thoroughly studied before being undertaken. “Let us find out if this project is worth pursuing when the environmental and geological study of the DENR-MGB concludes.”