The Province of Cotabato is accelerating the establishment of the Central Mindanao Airport (CMA), which is currently in the land acquisition phase.
In her State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Tuesday, Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño – Mendoza reported that through the Provincial Legal Office, the province has been able to notarize 41 Deeds of Absolute Sale to facilitate the Transfer of Ownership to the Provincial Government and the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
“The seven remaining others (ongoing negotiation sales with the owner) are still under the process of complying with documentary requirements for the eventual execution of the Deed of Absolute Sale,” she said.
Mendoza said 23 land titles have been transferred and are now registered under the name of the Province of Cotabato and DoTr and a Notice of Award has been issued to the contractor for the expansion of the perimeter fence worth P32 million, which is at 85 percent completed since February 28, 2023.
Last year, the provincial government of Cotabato made a pitch to the three major airlines – Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and AirAsia.
“The operationalization of the Central Mindanao Airport (CMA) is one of our administration’s priorities to spur the growth of commerce and agriculture and even tourism activities in the Province of Cotabato and even in our neighboring provinces,” Mendoza said.
The CMA is included in the Mindanao Development Authority’s (MinDA) priority infrastructure projects portfolio and is seen to “catalyze inclusive and balanced rural development in Mindanao… compliment General Santos and Awang Airports and will boost the economic activities of the area where many agricultural products, including highly-perishable fruits, come from,” according to MinDa.
Meanwhile, to complement the CMA the province is also establishing a Provincial Agro-Industrial Park (PAIP).
Through the Provincial Ordinance No. 565 series of 2015, the 27-hectare complex PAIP is situated in Barangay Pag-asa, M’Lang, and will house various agro-industrial food and non-food manufacturing.
“This agro-industrial marketing integration hub will cater to the processing of high-value crops and provides services and facilities that will generate added value to other commodities produced locally. Having a two-kilometer access road to CMA as an easy gateway for cargos, PAIP is also envisioned to create employment for Cotabateños,” Mendoza said.
