Garcia opposes renaming Mactan Cebu International Airport

CEBU, Philippines — Citing “no compelling reason” to rename Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to Lapu-Lapu International Airport, Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia of the Third District of Cebu has expressed his opposition on the proposed bill during the initial deliberation conducted by the House Committee on Transportation yesterday.  

Garcia said changing the name “would erase the 50 years history” and put to unnecessary waste the brand name that has gained international recognitions. He said that since the time the airport was built in 1956 it has been marketed well as MCIA and the name is “geographically fit” considering that it stands on the island of Mactan.

 Garcia argued that there is no other supreme recognition to the bravery and heroism of Datu Lapu-Lapu than naming the city after him.

 “I believe that the supreme recognition had already been given our first national hero when the town of Opon was named Lapu-lapu City in 1961. There is no higher recognition than that, naming a premier and first-class city after you. Besides, the name Mactan is inextricably linked with the heroism of Lapulapu so that there is really no compelling need for the renaming,” Garcia said.

 Garcia also question the need to rename the airport in this time of pandemic wherein there’s a need to recover from the economic drought brought by COVID-19.

 “Should we really be doing that now, as our economy struggles to recover in this pandemic, and we see the region relying upon tourism as key economic driver? Do we spend millions again marketing a new name and brand, when these resources could be better put to use elsewhere in our recovery?” Garcia asked.

He also stressed the need for a public consultation before pursuing any proposal to rename the airport.

“We should hear from the tourism sector not only in Cebu but in the whole Visayas, who have contributed greatly to the marketing of the brand Mactan Cebu International Airport. We should hear from the millions of people of the City of Cebu, and the 44 municipalities and 6 component cities of the Province of Cebu, who, after all, co-own the airport with the people of Lapu-Lapu City, whether the airport, which they have historically, consistently, and endearingly called “Mactan”, should be changed at all” Garcia said.

Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Rep. Paz Radaza filed last year House Bill 2222 seeking to rename MCIA to Lapu-Lapu International Airport to honor the first Philippine hero.

On April 27, 1521, Datu Lapu-Lapu repelled foreign invaders by defeating Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the famous “Battle of Mactan”.

Radaza’s proposal, however, was not the first time a move to rename the airport was pushed.

The late Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar also filed House Bill 8170 in 2018 that sought to amend Republic Act 6958, which created the airport authority in 1990. Del Mar then pushed to drop Mactan in the airport’s name and change it to Lapu-Lapu to be consistent with the city’s name and to honor the island’s chieftain.

Lately, former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña also floated the idea of renaming the airport after del Mar because of the latter’s contribution being the father of the MCIAA charter. — FPL (FREEMAN)