NEWSFLASH

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AIR FORCE CONSIDERS BASE IN GUIMARAS

Guimaras, Oct. 19, 1997 - Guimaras will be the site of a forward operations base of the Philippine Air Force soon.

Governor Emily Lopez and Philippine Air Force chief William Hotchkiss have inspected the proposed base site with a team of air force engineers and planners, who unanimously endorsed the proposed location. A memorandum of agreement between the local government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines will soon be signed to seal the fate of the project and lay the groundwork for the actual construction of the installation.

The development is interpreted by many as a positive move to force the national leadership to seriously consider Guimaras as host of an airport of international standards.

"As a forward operations base, Guimaras will complement Villamor Air Base in Manila, Mactan Air Base in Cebu and Basa Air Base in Batangas in guarding the country's territorial borders against internal and external threats," Hotchkiss said.

"Mactan is getting crowded and our territory here is shrinking because of expanding commercial activities," Hotchkiss said. "We need a new home in the Visayas."

Governor Lopez welcomed the development, predicting that "it will spur economic growth and ensure political stability in Guimaras and the region."

Cost of constructing the initial phase of the base is estimated to reach P700 million.

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