Laguindingan Airport (Misamis Oriental)

Posted on 22 November, 2019 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Laguindingan Airport

The PhP7.85 billion Laguindingan Airport is the first airport in Northern Mindanao that serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Marawi, as well as the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon. Mindanao’s second-busiest airport (after Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City), it is classified as a Principal Domestic Airport Class 1 by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

This airport, sitting on a 4.17 sq. km. (1.61 sq. mi.) site, is 46 kms. (29 mi.) from Cagayan de Oro and 57 kms. (35 mi.) from Iligan City. it replaced both the old, worn-out Lumbia Airport (now Lumbia Airfield, a military air base for the Philippine Air Force) in Brgy. Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro and Maria Cristina Airport in Brgy. Maria Cristina, Iligan City.

Here is the historical timeline of the airport’s construction:

On January 10, 2006, the Laguindingan Airport Development Project was inaugurated, with groundbreaking ceremonies presided by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
By July 2007, the construction of the 4.4-km., 4-lane access road had started to connect the new airport to the national road.
On August 30, 2007, the cost of the airport project (US$09 million or ₱7.853 billion) was duly approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board.
In early 2008, grading of the airport site area, headed by the Department of Transportation and Communications and its foreign and local consultants, South Korea-based Yooshin Engineering Corporation and Ortigas Center, Pasig-based SCHEMA Konsult, Inc. respectively, and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Company(as the general contractor for the project), was
On June 13, 2013, the airport was inaugurated by President Benigno Aquino III
On June 15, two days after its inauguration, the airport was opened.
In August 2013, the Project Development and Monitoring Facility Board approved the revision of the operations and maintenance of the airport.
By December 2014, the installment of the Instrument Landing System and other equipment was completed.
On March 12, 2015, the airport began to accommodate night flights and operating hours were increased, from the previous 6 AM –6 PM daily schedule, to 5 AM–9 PM.
In September 2017, Ayala Land (which owns 183 of the 417 hectares of land acquired by the government to develop the airport complex), is set to build its first industrial estate outside Luzon within the planned aerotropolis around the airport.
On October 20, 2017, Cebu Pacific made Laguindingan Airport its seventh hub, with its wholly owned subsidiary Cebgo adding flights to Caticlan and Dumaguete at the same time.
On February 26, 2019, Aboitiz Infra Capital Inc. was granted by CAAP an Original Proponent Status (OPS) for its unsolicited proposal for the airport’s upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance.

One of two conveyor belts for baggage claim

The airport has a single 2,100 m. x 45 m. runway which can accommodate four takeoffs and landings an hour and features a cargo terminal that has a built up area of 350 sq. m.; a 46,150 sq. m. apron area for Code C/E aircraft (10,000 sq. m. for ATRs); 23 m. wide taxiway and facilities for general aviation and ground support facilities.

The 7,184 sq. m., 1.5-level very clean and modern passenger terminal building, overlooking the sea, can accommodate 2,000 passengers a day and 1.6 million passengers a year. It has 2 conveyor belts for baggage claim and two passenger boarding bridges.

Branches of Seattle’s Best Coffee and Kenny Rogers at the Pre-Departure Area

Its Pre-Departure Area, at the second floor, has branches of Kenny Rogers and Seattles Best Coffee. As of 2019, Laguindingan Airport was the 6^th busiest airport in the country, with an estimate of 2,000,000 passengers passing through it.

Pre-Departure Area

It serves flights from Manila, Davao City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City and Zamboanga City through Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines or PAL Express and Air Asia.

One of two jet bridges service a PAL Express jet

Laguindingan Airport (IATA: CGY, ICAO: RPMY): Brgy. Moog, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. Open daily, 4 AM- 11 PM.

Solitude at Kibila Beach (Guinsiliban, Camiguin)

Posted on 12 April, 2001 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Kibila Beach

On April 12, Holy Thursday, we checked out of Dayon sa Cabuaan Beach Resort and proceeded to Kibila Beach, in Sitio Kibila, Brgy. Cantaan, Guinsiliban where we were to stay two nights. This 750-m. long, coarse white sand beach, the only one in the mainland, has a well by the beach and a seabed that slopes gradually.

We all stayed at the DENR Training Center and Dive Camp, managed by the Cantaan Fishermen’s Assn., CBFM Scholarship Foundation, Inc. and the DENR. It has a canteen, dining hall, cottage with bath and a seminar hall. Our stay was spent sunbathing, snorkeling, dining al fresco, chatting (and playing Taboo) by a bonfire at night and sleeping in folding beds by the seashore. We also visited a nearby Clam Culture Farm funded by a PhP120,000 grant from the Foundation for the Philippine Environment. One of our evenings was capped by a marriage proposal (with the accompanying engagement ring hidden in a crab shell) coming from Jake to his girlfriend Tey. How romantic!

We departed Camiguin on an early Black Saturday morning , April 14, on board a very delayed and hopelessly overcrowded ferry back to Cagayan de Oro City for an overnight stay. After last minute shopping for pasalubong at Cagayan de Oro’s Cogon Market (mostly Indonesian batik products) Jandy, Vi and I left the city for Manila on April 15, Easter Sunday, on the 11:35 AM Cebu Pacific flight, arriving at Manila by 1 PM. The others followed suit on the 3:30 PM PAL flight (They almost missed it).

Camiguin or Bust

Posted on 8 April, 2001 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The island province of Camiguin

I was still deciding on where to go with my son Jandy this Holy Week when my 2 companions from a previous climb up Mt. Makulot – Ms. Lourdes “Lulu” Siguenza, a Warner Bros. advertising executive, and free-lance artist Ms. Rosevie Sevilla – invited me to join them, with some other companions, on a week-long trip to the Northern Mindanao island province of Camiguin, an invitation I simply can’t refuse. This would be my second trip to Mindanao, the first being in Zamboanga City way back in 1976. I promptly secured plane tickets for me and Jandy.

On board the ferry MV Royal Princess

We left Manila on April 8, Palm Sunday, on the 5:15 AM Cebu Pacific flight. Joining us was Mr. Henry Chua, a Pizza Hut advertising executive and Lulu’s boyfriend. Upon arrival at Cagayan de Oro City’s Lumbia Airport (Misamis Oriental), we waited an hour for our 8 other companions arriving on the incoming Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight. On that flight were advertising executives Mr. Carl Allen and Begonia “Goni” Gonzalez of McCann Ericksson, Mr. Jake San Diego of Ace Saatchi, Ms. Tey Abonador of Harrison Communications, Ms. Rose Pantoja and Mr. Nubbin Beldia of Aviacom, Ms. Karen Rosel of Publicis-AMA and Mr. Randy Ypon, a balikbayan from Canada. Carl and Randy brought along their own diving equipment minus the oxygen tanks which they intend to rent on the island.

Shuttling by jeepney

From the airport, we were picked up by a hired (for PhP2,000) Nissan Urvan to take our party on a 83-km. (1-hr.) trip to the Misamis Oriental ferry port town of Balingoan, the gateway to Camiguin. Upon arrival, we all boarded the 11 AM ferry MV Royal Princess. Fare was PhP20 per pax for the 45-min. crossing to Brgy. Benoni in Mahinog. The boat was filled to the brim with passengers out on holiday, many crowding on the unshaded deck. The trip was smooth all the way until we reached sight of Benoni. Or so we thought …. We heard a loud crash and were tossed about as the ship hit the pier head-on just when we were docking. As if it were not enough, the crash was followed by a scraping sound as the ship sideswiped the dock ala Titanic. What an exciting way to start a vacation!

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.