Trade, cultural village eyed in old Davao airport
October 16, 2014 at 08:44am
MinDa executive director Janet M. Lopoz told reporters on Tuesday that the concept of the Mindanao Trade and Cultural Village is similar to other international airports in other countries where passengers can while away time before they board their flights.
She said they are envisioning this to become part of the airport complex, wherein not only basic airport services are being offered to passengers but also an avenue to promote Mindanao industries and tourism.
"It is going to be mainly an operation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) but in cooperation with MinDa, Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)," Lopoz said.
She said arriving and departing passengers will be able to see and get to know the whole of Mindanao through the Trade and Cultural Village.
Lopoz said the design they are eyeing for the exterior of the project is something that will showcase the culture of Mindanao. She said they are talking with local artists on how they can do this.
She added that the village will have a portion where various Mindanao products will be showcased and another portion will also feature the culture of the island.
When it comes to connecting the old and new airports, Lopoz said they are looking to either connect it through a tunnel or an above ground access like a bridge.
Lopoz said MinDa chair Sec. Luwalhati R. Antonino is set to present the plans for the Mindanao Trade and Cultural Village to Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte by the end of the week.
She said the design for the village is being done by a joint group of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), MinDa and Caap.
She said once the detailed design is completed, it will be submitted to DOTC and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza).
Portions of the funding will also be coming from Tieza and DOTC.
Lopoz said they are targeting to start the project by next year if the bidding can be done within the fourth quarter of this year.
Source: sunstar.com.ph
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