STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan, April 21 (PNA) — The town of Sta. Barbara is not giving up a bit its bid to be the site of an international airport to be hopefully built either by the government or through private initiative.

This was indicated by Mayor Reynaldo Velasco when he presented his programs and projects during a meeting and strategic planning session of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) headed by Governor Amado Espino Jr.

Velasco said development efforts of the Sta. Barbara municipal government are geared towards the realization of two “A”, which are agriculture and airport.

He said while his administration is seeking to improve the life of farmers and their families, it is at the same time pursuing the vision for Sta. Barbara to become the site of an international airport, notwithstanding similar bids for the facility undertaken by other towns.

Among the projects mentioned by Velasco in support of the planned international airport are the concreting of the Banaoang-Bangsal to Mapandan Road, construction of the Matic-Matic-Leet Bridge, the Tebag-Asin-Malasiqui Road, and the road from Catablan going to Malasiqui.

All these projects, Velasco said, will lead to the proposed international airport, hopefully to be built in Barangay Leet.

Velasco maintained that an international airport in Sta. Barbara will be a big boon to his town which relies mainly on agriculture.

He said being centrally located in Pangasinan and its proximity with the religious center in Manaoag and the cities of Dagupan, Urdaneta and San Carlos, Sta. Barbara is an ideal location for an international airport.

However, the city of Alaminos and the capital town of Lingayen are also bidding to be the site of the project.

Sta. Barbara Municipal Administrator Albertini de Guzman confirmed that all the infrastructure projects already built and being proposed by the municipal government will lead to the proposed airport.

“Practically all our activities, including on agriculture, are geared to support the dream of the town to be the location of an international airport, said de Guzman.

He said the town is making a tie-up with the Department of Agriculture so that farmers will get the necessary support in their food production venture, in order to make them highly competitive. (PNA)