3 projects to be set up in Cotabato City in ‘20
A CHINESE company is set to start in 2020 three projects in Cotabato City, including an international airport, a press statement from the city government over the weekend revealed.
Quoting Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia J. Guiani, the statement said aside from the airport, the other projects include the seaport and the China-Cotabato Friendship Technical School.
“All of these three projects will be undertaken by the China Engineering and Construction (Shenzhen) Company, Inc. and the city government of Cotabato through a Private-Public Partnership scheme,” said Guiani, adding that the groundbreaking for the airport will be before the end of year.
She added that the projects were the result of “steadfast relations between the people of Cotabato City and China” as the projects would not just be partnerships but “a brotherhood rooted deeply through the years.”
“Many Cotabatenios, including myself, have Chinese blood in them and that’s what connected us with our friends from this construction company. These projects will surely bring more progress and change our lives,” she added.
Although it did not mention the price tags on
the projects, the city government also pointed out that the three projects would need about 15,000 workers.
Last week, representatives of the Chinese company, headed by Yi Bin Liu and Tingting Yang, arrived in the city “to oversee the initial phase of the construction of each project.”
The city government said that the company officials expressed their long-term commitment to help in developing the city, particularly its infrastructure sector.
Before the arrival of its officials, the company also sent its technical people to present to the city government its blueprints for the projects for the evaluation of the experts of the city government and to survey the sites for the projects.
At present, the airport that is the servicing the city is the Awang Airport, located in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, which also serves North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.
Based on the data from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the airport services two flights to Manila and another to Zamboanga City daily. Another flight will also start on December 19, this time the route is Cebu.
The data also revealed that 299,861 passengers used the airport last year.
On the other hand, cargoes shipped through the sea lane get to the city through the Polloc Port in Parang, Maguindanao.