Onboard our chartered thirty-seater Dornier aircraft from Platinum Skies, I steadied my eyes toward the window as our plane circled Calayan Island. I quickly gazed at the azure-colored waters of Cibang Cove, recognizing it instantly from memories of my first visit there four years prior.
A Historic Touchdown: The First Flight to Calayan Island Airport
As our airplane’s wheels kissed the runway to signal the historic arrival of the first plane on Calayan Island, thrill reigned over me as I caught sight of the crowd lined up at both sides of the tarmac. They were all waving and clapping even after our plane came to rest on the apron.
As the door opened and we stepped out one by one, I heard drumming beats and saw a group of locals adorned in colorful garbs dancing to merry tunes. It dawned on me how special that day was for the residents of Calayan.
Sustainable Tourism Boom, Urged
Beside the makeshift stage set up on the apron of the airport, local performers strutted to a number of cultural performances. First was a Komedya, a play consisting of a battle dance depicting both the Christians and the Moro, followed by dazzling choreography featuring young women dressed up to mimic the piding, a flightless bird endemic to the island.
After the performances, Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB) COO Venus Tan and Calayan Mayor Alfonso “Al” Llopis took the stage to deliver speeches celebrating the momentous occasion.
“Your source of livelihood won't be limited anymore to agriculture and fishing, it will now include tourism. This will be part of your alternative livelihood.”
Tan stated this as she lauded the efforts of the Calayan LGU in fulfilling the long-standing dream of building an airport. Venus Tan also pledged the full support of the TPB in marketing the tourism potential of the island, emphasizing the profound importance of practicing sustainable tourism.
“Sustainable, ethical and responsible tourism, or SER, should be practiced on this island. We at the tourism department believe in the importance of not only preserving the environment but also our culture. Our unique culture is what will attract the interest of many people,” Tan added.
A Labor of Love
While the new Calayan airport was expected to herald new tourism, commerce, and basic service developments, Mayor Al Llopis likened the airport to the townsfolk’s resolve in achieving what seemed to be a lifelong dream.
“My grandfather Benedicto Llopis, who was Mayor in the 1960s, originally envisioned building an airport. But decades went by and we weren’t able to secure funding from the national government,” Mayor Llopis narrated.
Finally, before Mayor Al could finish his last term, the LGU secured a bank loan along with additional funding from the provincial government. The airport now gives Calayan residents a safer mode of transportation compared to the arduous seven-hour lampitaw boat rides that routinely brave the forceful waters of the Babuyan Channel.
“Many lives have already been lost. I cannot afford for the next generation to have the lampitaw as their only transportation option,” Llopis expressed.
The man responsible for arranging this baseline flight to Calayan, Wakay Air Transport CEO Jerry Cabalce, hopes smaller aviation players will soon follow suit. He, along with Mayor Llopis and the support of the Tourism Promotions Board, is starting to draft a definitive tourism master plan. The framework aims to preserve the raw charm that makes Calayan Island a dream destination for travelers, keeping it intact even through the anticipated influx of tourists.
As the program ended and locals queued for a tour inside the Miss Universe aircraft from Platinum Skies, the profound scale of the day became clear. Recounting the visual of the airport’s 800-meter runway from the sky, it felt like a deliberate stroke drawn across the remote landscape. After decades of waiting, the stars aligned to deliver the connectivity the people of Calayan truly deserve.
