By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—The Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines has cited the Laoag International Airport (LIA)
for its green project initiatives.
Under the Group A category,
the Laoag International Airport placed second runner-up next to Puerto Princesa
and Iloilo International Airports.
In support of the green
airport concept and energy efficiency enhancement to reduce airport-wide carbon
intensity, LIA’s Civil Aviation Manager Ronald Estabillo said in an interview
that the Laoag airport continues to develop and improve for the better.
Among the green project
initiatives of the airport include the installation of solar-powered street
lights, planting of bougainvillea plants and trees from the entrance gate of
the airport to the terminal building including its water saving measures and proper
disposal of wastes.
According to Mr. Estabillo,
this is not the first time that the Laoag airport received the award as they
had been green award champion in 2014 and the cleanest and greenest airport in
2012.
The contest was part of the
10th anniversary celebration of CAAP, underlining the theme,
“Excellence in the Skies.”
Meanwhile, the Baguio airport
which Mr. Estabillo also handles, became this year’s green award champion under
the Group D category.
According to him, criteria
for the selection were green airport promotions, or the inclusion of ornamental
and flowering plants within the airport compound; management of electrical
power utilization, such as the use of renewable power sources; and water
management, including waste segregation.
“If you see our streetlights,
they are solar,” Mr. Estabillo said, adding, “we’re also thankful to the
provincial government, because they are behind the improved landscape and they
are the ones who sowed the plants here.”
The annual search aims for
better understanding of the share and projections of international aviation CO2
emissions, enhanced cooperation between all aviation stakeholders that can
positively reflect on their operational areas, and the identification of the
most relevant mitigation actions.
LIA is the only airport in
Ilocos Norte and geographically the northernmost airport in the entire country.
It is a popular gateway for Chinese tourists to the province and averaged
almost 185,000 passengers per year between 2010 and 2016.
Temporary Aerodrome Certificate
Mr. Estabillo also shared that LIA had recently earned a
temporary Aerodrome Certificate, which had taken almost two years of
preparations and internal audits.
“This basically means that we
have met international standards for aircraft and airport safety and security,”
he explained, saying that the certificate is similar to a certification by the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
He said that the only
hindrance for LIA to achieve the long-term certificate was their lack of land
area south of the runway, which is at 150 meters on each side.
“We have already set
mitigating actions for us to meet the standard for our airstrip,” he assured,
such as coordination with pilots and airlines to ensure consistent
implementation of safety and security procedures.
As to the lack of land area,
he shared that the implementation of the project to purchase more land and
comply with the requirements of the long-term Aerodrome Certificate through a
memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Department of Transportation (DOTr)
and the PGIN. (With a report from PGIN-CMO)
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