INFLUX. Passengers disembark from a commercial flight at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport in Negros Oriental in this undated photo. With the influx of travelers during the peak season of Holy Week and the summer months, airport authorities are looking at adding more restrooms and other facilities at the passenger terminal. (PNA file photo by Mary Judaline Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Dumaguete-Sibulan airport in Negros Oriental is planning to put in more restrooms to meet the needs of the influx of travelers during the holidays.
Allan Punay, local CAAP chief and airport manager, said a long-term plan is needed to improve the facilities in the airport as he admitted that the lack of restrooms has always been a problem when people were coming and going for the Holy Week observance and summer months.
“We are eyeing the improvement of our facilities and amenities at our passenger terminal building. In particular, we will be improving the restrooms and hopefully providing additional restrooms,” Punay said.
Punay said the local CAAP would look for resources from the private sector and the provincial government to help the agency improve the facilities.
He said they are expecting some improvements in the toilet facilities this year.
Aside from toilets, Punay said that they are also planning to improve the pre-departure area which becomes crowded every time there is a canceled flight.
The airport logs almost 1,000 passengers a day while there are at least 16 inbound and outbound flights daily.
“If there are canceled flights, the terminal building becomes more congested, thus the need for more restrooms,” Punay said.
Meanwhile, Edward Du, president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) vowed to help CAAP to source funding for their projects.
Punay presented the plan during the NOCCI annual general assembly over the weekend.
Du said that while it is primarily the government’s role to fund projects such as the airport’s restrooms, as partners and collaborators for progress and development, the NOCCI would extend help to those who come to them. (PNA)
