By Marisol Bo-oc , Helen Castaño | 04:14 PM January 10, 2025
After waterless for weeks, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport has now water to flush toilets.
This after Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado intervened to solve the water shortage at the airport.
During a meeting on Thursday, Aumentado via Zoom told officials and stakeholders to solve immediately the problem which would impact the tourism industry of the province.
Passengers were seen using pails and dippers to flush toilets of the P4.526 billion airport.
Although the airport was not within the provincial government’s jurisdiction, Aumentado said it needed help.
“Naguol ko sa sitwayon sa atong airport. Even though dili na atong jurisdiction but we need to help them. I knew nga naay contract sila sa Richli nga wa ka-comply until now [but] it doesn’t mean wala tay action himuon,” said Aumentado.
“Unsay mahitabo anang airport tungod kay apil man ta sa Bohol, we need to help them,” he added.
The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI), Vice Gov. Tita Baja, provincial administrator Asteria Caberte, lawyer Handel Lagunay, chief of staff lawyer Filipina Asoy-Piollo.
Lawyer Rafael Tatlonghari, Caap Area 7 Manager, said that Richli Corporation, the airport’s original water supplier, failed to deliver water to the airport. Richli’s plant in Cortes was shutdown due to unresolved valve issues resulting in low water pressure.
The incident happened last Dec. 17, 2024 but it was unresolved until Aumentado stepped in.
“Atong gipangitaan og immediate solution kay urgent ni siya nga situation. Kay ako personally even ang Caap nga gi-represent dili ingani nga situation nga makita nato sa Facebook nga balde balde atong gibutang,” said Tatlonghari.
BWUI agreed to deliver water to the airport using two tankers with capacities of 10,000 and 12,000 liters. The water was connected to the airport’s pump house, enabling direct faucet flow instead of relying on pails as storage.
“Water in the next hour. We are fixing it, ” said Caberte.
“As this point duna natay solution para sa pagkakuwang og tubig sa Bohol-Panglao International Airport. We have committed to source water from Bohol Water Utiliies Inc to immediately supply water to the airport,” Caberte added.
