The P232-million Jolo Domestic Airport runway improvement project in Jolo, Sulu, is expected to the completed by the end of this month. (Photo by NONOY E. LACSON)

JOLO, Sulu – A Manila-based construction firm, backed by seasoned Filipino engineers, is expected to complete the “P232 million ($5.2 million) Jolo Domestic Airport runway improvement project” here by the end of this month, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said on Saturday.

Tan said the project is now 99 percent completed and construction workers are now concentrating on the finishing touches and removal of excess construction materials at the site.

“The provincial government here is elated that the Jolo airport improvement project will be completed by the end of this month,” he said.

“What the workers are doing now is removing the excess construction materials at the site while others are doing some finishing touches on the project,” the governor here added.

Tan also expressed confident that the Jolo Airport renovation will help boost the present economic condition of the province in the coming days.

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) granted P142 million fund, while the national government has infused some P90 million for the development of the Jolo domestic airport.

The project started last October 3, 2008 in coordination with the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

After the improvement of the Jolo domestic airport, it will have a total runway length of 1,845 meters from the former 1,200 meters, the width of its runways from 18 meters to 30 meters, the asphalt pavement sections will now be a concrete pavement and the runway will also have the needed markings,” Tan explained.

The governor said that after the improvement, the Jolo airport can now accommodate larger aircraft used by major domestic airlines like A-320s and B-373s.

It will result to better air transportation links between Sulu and the rest of the country and the world, as this will generate more passenger and cargo traffic and thereby support economic development for the province, the governor emphasized.