KEY LP LEADER CONG. NIEL TUPAS VOWS TO HELP M’LANG AIRPORT COMPLETION

By Manny Pinol

Influential administration leader Niel C. Tupas, a congressman representing Iloilo’s 5th District, has pledged his support to source funds needed to complete the long-delayed Central Mindanao Airport in M’lang, North Cotabato.

Visiting the airport project in Barangay Tawantawan on his way to M’lang Saturday, Tupas, chairman of the House Committee on Justice and a key ally of President Benigno S. Aquino III, was impressed by the strategic location of the airport and its expected impact on Central Mindanao economy.

“We have to make sure that additional funding is included in the 2015 budget,” Tupas said when he was informed that about P300-M more is needed to complete the project by 2016.

The night before he stood as guest of honor and speaker during M’lang’s foundation day celebrations, Tupas was a personal guest of former Congressman Jun Pinol.

Cong. Tupas was adequately briefed on the importance of the M’lang Airport which was started during my term as Governor of North Cotabato.

Enjoying fresh fruits and roasted Manok PiNoy, I told Cong. Tupas that many more food products from Central Mindanao, especially fresh fruits, could be brought to the big markets with the operation of the airport.

During the foundation ceremonies, Cong. Tupas engaged North Cotabato 3rd District Congressman Jose Tejada in a huddle along with Mayor Lito Pinol, former Cong. Pinol and me to lay out a strategy on how to get additional funding for the airport.

Cong. Tejada, an opposition congressman who was attending a M’lang town activity for the first time, told Tupas he was working on the airport project as well as chairman of a project monitoring committee organized by the provincial government.

Tupas said he will meet with Dept. of Transportation and Communications Secretary Jun Abaya to discuss the M’lang Airport project.

At the same time, he asked his colleague Cong. Tejada to prepare all the documents which would support the request for additional funding.

“We have to make sure that this airport is completed before 2016,” Tupas pledged.