Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
H6``useBi||No.        8973
Introduced by Representative MARIA VANESSA C. AUMENTADO
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill is in line with the administration`s thrust of promoting productivity-
enhancing investments, particularly, in the tourism industry.  Tourism is not only an
important economic development tool, the abundant opportunities that the sector
creates in terms of regular employment and even I.ob creation at the grassroot level
is undeniable. In order to boost our tourism industry, it is foremost to make it more
convenient for travelers to go around the country. As such, it is imperative that we
should help decongest the bottleneck in the Manila Airport by developing existing
airports such as the Ubay Airport.
Ubay Airport, is a community airport located in Camambugan, Ubay, Bohol. It
was  originally  built  by  the  Americans  before  World  War  11  and  was  used  in  the
ensuing war. It has a land area of 54 hectares owned by the Civil Aviation Authority
of the Philippines (CAAP), an agency attached to the Department of Transportation.
It  has a  runway of two  (2)  kilometers expandable to three (3)  kilometers in  a flat
terrain which is ideal for airport development with a huge potential for expansion.
Presently, the airport has no existing facilities, no scheduled service and only
light  planes  are  utilizing  it.  However,  Ubay  airport  is  used  as  alternative  airport
during  times  of natural  disaster,  calamities  and  in  emergencies.  It  has  proven  its
usefulness and viability when it was prominently used in transporting relief goods
during the 2013 Bohol earthquake and during Super Typhoon Odette in December
2021.
There is a dire need to develop and upgrade the Ubay Airport for it to have
capability to handle commercial aircrafts; it can also host aviation schools and serve
as training facility to relieve Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the Tagbilaran
Airport  from  training  flights  of  aviation  students.  Upgrading  Ubay  Airport  will
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further enhance the tourism industry, create more business opportunities in that part
of the Visayan region to include the nearby provinces of Mindanao, and, in effect, it
will significantly redound to the benefit of the whole country.
It is thus, that approval of this proposed measure is earnestly requested.
MARIA VANIgAC.AI"INITAIDO
Representative
Second (2nd) District, BOHOL
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
H6useBi||No.      8973
Introduced by Representative MARIA VANESSA C. AUMENTADO
AN ACT
PROVIDING    FOR    THE    UBAY    AIRPORT    DEVELOPMENT    TO    ACCOMMODATE
COMMERCIAL   DOMESTIC  AND  AVIATION   TRAINING   FLIGHTS,   APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFORE, AND FOR OTHER PuRPOSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House Of Representatives of the Phlllpp.ines
in Congress assembled.
Section 1. This Act shall be known as the "ubay Airport Development Act''.
Section 2. Statement of Polity - lt is hereby declared the polity of the State
to develop airports under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to
service areas with  a  strong  potential  for tourism,  agro-industrial,  commerce  and
industry to spur the economic development therein. Towards this  end, the  Ubay
airport is included in the CAAP annual investment plan for development.
Section 3. Development Trust - the Ubay Airport Development Project shall
cover its feasibility study, engineering design, improvement of the existing runway,
construction  of  a  terminal  building  with  appurtenance  thereto,   installation  of
navigation and lighting facilities and all the indispensable equipment required for
domestic commercial flights and aviation training flights.
Section 4. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the implementation of
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its
enactment into law and thereafter.
Section  5.  Effectivity -  this  Act  shall  take  effect  upon  its  publication  in  a
newspaper of general circulation of the Official Gazette.
Approved.
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