LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The provincial government of Pangasinan is tapping commercial seaplane companies to boost the tourism industry in the localities in the western part of Pangasinan.
In an interview on Friday, Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III said they are coordinating with the companies to hasten the travel time from Manila Bay to either Lingayen town or Alaminos City, and other coastal towns in Pangasinan should the project push through.
"It will take 40 minutes travel time," he said, noting that the seaplane could accommodate about 10 passengers per travel.
On Nov. 19, Guico and his family tested a seaplane and landed safely at the Hundred Islands National Park.
He said the seaplane project would serve as a prelude to the construction of the Pangasinan Link Expressway and the airport in Bolinao town, both of which are in the land acquisition phase.
The airport, he said, would be designed to have a 1,500-meter runway, large enough to accommodate propeller-type commercial aircraft, such as the Airbus 320.
"Phase 2 will expand the runway to 2.5 km., ramp, apron, and terminal, as well as the roads going to the main road that needs development," he said.
Guico said the completion of the Bolinao Airport would further boost the tourism industry in the 1st District of Pangasinan, which boasts of white sand beaches, salt farms, the Balingasay River, and the giant clam breeding area, among others.
The Pangasinan Link Expressway that will connect the eastern and western portions of Pangasinan will also complement the airport, he said.
"We hope to finish the airport by 2025," Guico said. (PNA)
