The Mactan Airport
It was the Boholano President Carlos Polistico Garcia, who married a Cebuana by the name of Leonila Dimataga, who built the Mactan Airport. This was the measure undertaken after the death of President Ramon Magsaysay on March 17, 1957. It was the Americans who started building the airport, then it was developed by President Garcia. The airport now houses the Mactan Airbase renamed on January 18, 1998 as the Benito Ebuen Air Base, the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force who died in a crash with President Magsaysay. This what transpired during the visit of President Garcia in Cebu:
“November 19.—PRESIDENT Garcia this morning made a surprise visit to the site of the Mactan auxiliary airport and expressed satisfaction when informed by Lt. Col. Augusto R. Roa, project engineer, that work in the project is ahead of schedule with almost 25 per cent of the construction finished.
“Col. Roa briefed the President on the progress of the work and said although the deadline is still in 1961, he expects it to be ready to land aircraft by the end of February 1959.
“When fully completed, the airfield will be capable of handling most modern civil and military planes. It will cost a total of approximately $25 million.
“President Garcia was told that 723 hectares of land was reserved for the airport site and that paved runways alone will cover an area of 43 hectares.
“He was also informed that major problems encountered by P. J. Keiner, airport contractors, are low supply of cement and shortage of spare parts for heavy equipment badly needed in construction work.
“The President promised to look into these problems and find means of solving them in order to expedite completion of the project.
“Accompanying the President on the inspection of Mactan airfield were Health Secretary Elpidio Valencia, Cebu Gov. Jose Briones, Cebu City Mayor Ramon Duterte, Opon Mayor Mariano Dimataga, and Gil Garcia.
“From the airport site, the President motored to Mactan, barrio of Opon town, where he visited the Magellan monument and resthouse with a historical marker showing the exact spot where the Spanish conquistador was felled by Lapu-Lapu.
“The presidential yacht docked at the Opon wharf at 9:30 a.m. The President and party proceeded to Mactan airfield.
“Shortly after luncheon given in the residence of Mayor Dimataga, the President boarded the yacht and left for Ubay, Bohol, to make a surprise visit to Ubay stock farm, largest government stock farm in the country today.
“President Garcia will stay overnight in Bohol and will return to Cebu tomorrow.”
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