The proposal to increase the airport terminal fee at the Iloilo Airport is being opposed.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) made this proposal in view of the soon-to-operate direct international flights to and from Singapore and Hongkong.

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. said he is not in favour of this because the current P200 fee being paid by a departing passenger from the Iloilo Airport is enough and affordable. He said a higher fee would be expensive.

"Majority of us wants cheaper payment. Nobody likes an increase," he said.

Defensor said he will bring this to the attention of Sec. Manuel Roxas of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and will also ask for a retention of the present terminal fee.

Iloilo Lone District Representative Jerry Trenas said the proposal is "untimely" and advised the CAAP look into some considerations before implementing changes.

Leandro Cabarles, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) based in Singapore, said the P200 terminal fee should be retained especially if one has to go through a connecting flight where one has to pay another P200. But, if there is a direct flight to Singapore, he said an additional fee is tolerable, but it should be affordable.

INSPECTION

The DOTC has already inspected the facility of the Iloilo Airport located between the towns of Sta. Barbara and Cabatuan, Iloilo last month to check the facilities needed for the proposed direct international flights before the year ends.

Defensor said that according to the assessment of the DOTC, the Iloilo Airport needs facilities for quarantine, immigration and custom services to meet the standard of an international airport.

"We already leave the funding of this project to the DOTC as the major agency that plays a big role in materializing the Ilonggos' dream," he said.

He added that Cebu Pacific wants to start their international flights either on September or October with a frequency of four flights from Iloilo to Hongkong and vice versa and three flights from Iloilo to Singapore and vice versa every week. They will also add flights from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director Helen Catalbas said that apart from tourists, the international flights will help seafarers and overseas contract workers travel with lesser expense because they need not take flights through Manila, Cebu or Davao.*