In a recent development, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) tapped the services of Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI) to supply potable water to Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA). The contract signing ceremony was held on May 2, 2025 at the CAAP office, airport compound, BPIA, Panglao, Bohol. The short and simple ceremony was attended by Atty. Rafael Tatlonghari, CAAP Area Manager; Anghelo Ibañez, BPIA Airport Manager; James N. Villareal, BWUI Executive Vice President and Christine Ranay, BWUI General Manager. Present also during the signing ceremony was Bohol Governor Aristotle Aumentado.
In his message during the occasion, Atty. Tatlonghari is optimistic that this time around the BPIA will experience reliable supply of water from BWUI. He further stressed that way back during the construction stage of the airport, BWUI has been satisfactorily supplying water to the contractor until the completion of the project.
In his message, Mr. Villareal expressed his heartfelt thanks to CAAP for the trust bestowed upon BWUI, he further stressed BWUI’s commitment in providing safe, sustainable water supply to BPIA and ensures reliable and uninterrupted services.
It may be recalled that late last year, BPIA experienced water shortage due to the inability of the previous provider to comply its obligations to cater the water demand of the said facility. The incidents went viral in social media which brought bad image to BPIA and the Provincial Government as well.
However, with the initiative of the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), through the active role of Governor Aumentado, in coordination with the Civil Aviation of the Philippines (CAAP), BWUI was able to fill in the water shortage by temporarily providing the water needs of the airport and utilizing its water trucks just to meet the water demand of the facility during that time.
As window of the Province of Bohol and being one of the prime tourist destinations of the country, availability of potable water plays a vital role in keeping the BPIA facility neat and clean. Maintaining the BPIA to an international standard is of utmost importance.