KIDAPAWAN CITY MAYOR WANTS SHORTER ROUTE TO AIRPORT

Kidapawan City Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco, who is on his third and last term as mayor of the capital city of North Cotabato, has asked engineers planning access roads to the Central Mindanao Airport in Tawan-tawan, M’lang to build a road which would offer Kidapawenos easier access to the airport.

Gantuangco suggested that a long term plan to open a wider access road from the city to the airport passing through Barangays Kalaisan and Junction going towards Barangays Liboo and Calunasan in M’lang should be considered.

This project would entail the construction of a bridge from Barangay Ugpay, also in M’lang, to Barangay Tawan-tawan.

With this proposed road, the airport will only be about 6 kilometers away from Sitio Fatima in Barangay Junction, Kidapawan City’s last barangay going to M’lang.

Initially though, Gantuangco has agreed to the suggestion of M’lang Mayor Lito Pinol that the access road from Barangay New Janiuay to the airport be utilized by Kidapawenos in going to the Airport.

This route will take plane passengers and cargoes from Kidapawan City through Makilala and then through Barangays Nueva Vida, New Rizal and New Janiuay, approximately a distance of 20 kilometers from the city proper.

Another access road is expected to be constructed from Poblacion M’lang going to the airport to accommodate passengers and cargoes from Pigcawayan, Alamada, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pikit, Kabacan, Carmen, Matalam and the Arakan Valley towns.

Gantuangco said the Central Mindanao Airport, when fully operational, will be a big boon to trade and commerce in the city of Kidapawan, especially fruit producers who have suffered from the lack of access to the market in the past.

Kidapawan City, Makilala and Magpet are three of the biggest fruit producing towns in North Cotabato turning out tons of Mangosteen, Rambutan, Lanzones and Durian every year.

The fruit producers lack of access to the big markets of Manila, however, have dampened their enthusiasm to expand.

The Central Mindanao Airport now offers an opportunity for the fruit growers to cash in on the big demand for fruits in Cebu City and Metro Manila.

(Photo credit: Jojie Certeza, lifted from the Kidapawan City website.)