Photo taken from en.wikipilipinas.org
MANILA, Philippines – A new airport is being planned for Camarines Sur, the “fastest growing tourist destination”, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) said Friday.
“The move to develop an airport in San Jose, Camarines Sur came in light of the provinces’ sustained growth in tourism,” DOTC said in a statement released Friday.
An estimated 2.33 million visitors came to the province in 2010, around 223 percent higher than the 721,024 visitors in 2008, it said.
The DOTC “is inviting consultancy firms interested to conduct a feasibility study on the possibility of developing a new airport in Camarines Sur, the fastest growing tourist destination in the country,” it said.
“Camarines Sur overtook perennial favorites like Metro Manila, Cebu and Boracay as the top tourism destination in the country, according to figures from the Department of Tourism,” DOTC said.
A popular tourist destination in the province is the Camarines Sur Water Sports Complex (CWC), Caramoan Island, “Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church in Naga, the 19th-century churches in Goa, San Jose and Sagñay, [and] the beaches of Sagñay, Sabang and Pasacao,” DOTC said.
Another project of the DOTC in the province of Samar is “a master plan study of Calbayog Airport.” The DOTC was looking for potential consultants for the P7 million project, it said.
“Calbayog is the biggest city in Samar Island in terms of population. As such, it is one of the commercial trade centers in Eastern Visayas,” it said.
“Apart from its growing economy, Calbayog is also home to a host of natural tourist attractions such as the Bangon-Bugtong, Tabokno, and Pan-as Falls; the Danao and Guinogo-an Caves; Mapaso Hot Spring; Mawacat Slide; Binaliw Isle; and the beaches of Malajog, Naga, and Bagacay Beach,” DOTC said.
Deadline for the submission of eligibility documents is on September 14, after which the DOTC will shortlist five prospective bidders who can submit their formal bids, it said.