SITE: VIRAC DOMESTIC AIRPORT

NOTE: It has a proposed facility upgrade in Perspective presentation. Your proposal

should not be anywhere near the said image.
Refer to: CAAP Rules & Guidelines, NBCP, Firecode, Time Saver Standards, etc.
Research for:
1. DOTC Website: Project Information Memorandum for Six Regional Airports
2. Follow the format of the above presentation as basis for the written research you
will submit together with the drawings which include:
a. Background
Virac Airport (Tagalog: Paliparan ng Virac, Bikol: Palayogan nin Virac) (IATA:
VRC, ICAO: RPUV) is the only airport serving the island province of Catanduanes in
the Philippines. It is located in the capital, Virac. The airport is classified as a Class 1
principal (major domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a
body of the Department of Transportation and Communications that is responsible
for the operations of not only this airport but also of all other airports in the
Philippines except the major international airports.
On October 27, 2013, Cebu Pacific launched the first ever Airbus flight in
Virac.

Airport Redevelopment Project

The project is the Rehabilitation of Virac Airport with the goal expanding its
passenger terminal area in order to cater to the growing number of passengers and
cargo that fly in and out of Catanduanes. The project derives its funds from CAAP or
the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Modernization of Airport Terminal and Facilities

Asphalt overlay of runway (30mx1,886m) - approved budget 105.13

million pesos

HISTORY
Virac, the capital of the island province of Catanduanes, started its primitive
annals in pre-Spanish times when tribal chieftain Lumibao, scion of Datu Dumaguil
who came to the Philippines with the 13 Malay dauts, andd his wife Milbigan settled
near Vidak spring and founded the first civilized settlement with a score of servant
followers and their wives. Some say Virac is a derivation of the word Vidac while
others claim it is a contraction of the Spanish version of the word burac, meaning
flower.

The growth of Virac in terms of governance peaked in 1972. From the original
34 barangays in 1960, Virac was able to establish 29 new communities to upgrade
the present composition of 63 barangays.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
The municipality of Virac is situated at about 13.3 degrees north latitude and
124.2 degrees east longitude. It is bounded on the east by the municipality of Bato
and Cabugao Bay and by the Lagonoy Gulf on its southern geographical fringes. On
its northern tips lies the municipality of Caramoran. The northeastern section is
shared with the Municipality of San Miguel, while the western boundary abuonds the
municipality of San Andres.
It has a total land area of 18,778.40 hectares or 12% of the total land area of
the province, ranking third in area among the eleven towns of the province of
Catanduanes.

b. Domestic traffic

c. Site dev't plan

d. Tourism Data

CATANDUANES TOURIST DESTINATIONS

FESTIVALS
Catandungan Festival
3rd week of October, Provincial Festival
This is celebrated every October commemorating the foundation anniversary
of Catanduanes as an independent province from Albay. Among the featured special
events are: surfing competition, pantomina street dance, beauty pageant,
agricultural and trade fair, sportsfest, guided tours, and photo exhibits.
The focal event of the provincial celebration centers on the international and
national Governors Surfing Cup which continually attracts surfers around the globe
to test their water skills in the powerful waves of Puraran, known in the surfing
world as the Majestics.

Adding color and pageantry to the festivities is the PantominaCatanduanes

streetdance competition. Pantomina is a dance widely popular in every town of the
island. The dance imitates the courtship movements of the rooster and the hen, to
the music played for the dance or the song usually sang during the dance
performance. Catanduanes version of pantomina shows the ardent pursuit by a
lover of his beloved who demurely refuses at first but surrenders in the end.
Bringing the dance to the streets envisions to popularize the dance especially to the
youth and insure its continuity as a cultural tradition and to develop a sense of
identity and belonging among Catandunganons through dance forms.

Kalbaryo
A re-enactment of the Passion of Christ, staged in all parishes during Season
of Lent or the Holy Week. Siete Palabras (Seven Last Words), Senakulo. Holy
Thursday, the last supper and the washing of the feet. Padungkal is being
observed on Holy Thursday in the town of San Andres where the scene in the
Garden of Gethsemane is depicted in Luyang Cave followed by the crucifixion of
Christ in barangay Rizal. Salubong is an Easter Sunday pre-dawn ritual that reenacts the Risen Christs meeting with His mother. It is performed in the churchyard
under a specially prepared arch where the veiled image of the Virgin Mary has been
placed. A child dressed as an angel is lowered by ropes from a high platform to lift
the mourning veil of the grieving Mother.

Kagharong
Kagharong is being observed province-wide. This is a folk-religious related
activity depicting a Christmas tradition, the rejection by the Jews of Joseph and Mary
in their search for a place to stay in anticipation of the delivery of Jesus on the eve
of the Nativity.
Christmas Cheers is an annual yuletide festivity in the capital town of Virac
which started in 1985 to cheer-up a then typhoon-ravaged populace. The event has
now become a cultural tradition that provides a venue for the showcase of local
artistic talents and wholesome entertainment for all age groups. (It is also staged in
other towns in the province.)

Burac Festival
Feast day of Immaculate Conception (Town Fiesta). A flourishing municipality,
Virac is believed to have its name originated from Burac, a local term for a flower.
Early native settlers sustained their living by tilling its fertile lands and fishing from
the rich water resources that abound in this town. Commemorating their devotion to
Nuestra Senora de la Immaculada Conception, the patroness of Virac, and give
thanks and honor for her blessings and guidance, Burac Festival came out to be
from the capital town of Virac, across Maqueda channel.

Tinagcrosan Festival
Feast day of Saint John de Baptist (Town Fiesta). The Tinagcrosan Festival of
the municipality of Bato is celebrated in homage to Fray Diego de Herrera, the
Father of Christianity in the island of Catanduanes.

ABACACO Festival
Bato is the image of the provinces history, a symbol of a strong church. With
the towns agricultural abundance and richness, it bountiful harvest was blessed by
the rains of St. John. Abaca became a prime industry. The cacao gave sweetness to
a familys dining table. The coconut, which is the tree life, is part of their everyday
life giving strength to the copra industry.

Feast day of the Holy Cross Shrine

Feast Day of the declaration of the Holy Cross of Batalay as a National Shrine.
Found in the Church is a Miraculous Well that is believed to help cure diseases.

Feast day of Saint Lawrence the Martyr and Our Lady of Salvacion
The festival captures the heroic character of the people of Baras. Badas,
local term for wild rattan, was made into spears in olden times to ward off Moro
raiders thus, emerging as an apt description of the indomitable spirit of the
Barasnons. Badas epitomizes the unfolding in history of Bicolandias surfing
capital, the Majestic Puraran Beach.

e. Layout of existing airport

f. Your proposed upgrading facility for a domestic airport

g. Air traffic growth

h. Climate/ environmental considerations

TOPOGRAPHY
Virac has a rugged topography, with mountain ranges, hills and small plain.
Coastward, Viracs landface is primarily characterized by rolling hills and
fractured plains over which the Poblacion and the majority of the built up areas are

located. The montainos terrain on its interior limits are parts of the mountain chain
dominating the central portion of the island province.
SLOPE
The highest round elevation in Virac is 742 meters while the lowest is 28
meters above sea level. Steep hills and mountains with 30-50% slope range acconts
for the 42% of the total land area covering approximately 7,888.80 hectares
predominating the Buyo district and Dugui areas and Magnesia, Igangg, and Talisoy
at the south side. Rolling to hilly lands with 18-30% slope range represent 24% of
the total. Nineteen percent with a total area of 3,527 hectares falls under level to
very gently sloping 0-3% slope range, where most of the built up areas are found.
The rest are between 3-18% slope range.

CLIMATIC CONDITION
The climate in Virac is classified as Type II, that is, there is no distinct wet and
dry season. From 1961 to 1995, Synap has recorded a mean annual rainfall of 2.776
mm with heavy rainfall occurring on October to December characterized with high
incidence of typhoons. In the same period, the mean temperature was 27.0 degree
Centigrade and the mean relative humidity was 81%.

SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Five types of soil exist in Virac consisting of Mountain soil, alimodian clay
loam, Calatagan clay loam, Virac sandy clay and beach sand. Alimodian clay loam
found in the lower northern to eastern highland comprises 38% of the total land
area. Calatagan clay loam typified by gently undulating to rolling land occupies 30%
which predominates the Calatagan district and southwestern part of Virac. Almost
23% is consist of mountain soil at the uppermost portion of Virac vegetated by
second growth commercial and non-commercial forests. At the lowland, beach sand
and sandy clay comprising 3% and 6% of the total land area are found along the
coasts and coastal plains respectively.

SURFACE DRAINAGE
The drainage pattern in Virac follows a dendritic pattern wherein the basin
and its tributraries primarily drain at the mouth of the Pajo River. The downstream
area is very much susceptible to flood occurrences during heavy rain downpour. On
the other hand, the upstreams have a considerable drainage density to catch runoff
during wet season.
The minor rivers of Cawayan, Ile and Sibanhan meander generally on an
easterly direction before discharging at Cabugao Bay. Coastal waters are found in
twenty two (22) barangays.

MINERAL RESOURCES
Mineral deposits found in Virac are manganese and copper, which are
available in a limited scale, while traces of gold have been found by the gold
panning activities in Dugui area. It has also limited quantities of non-metallic
deposits like guano, coal and phosphates. However, the limestone deposits are
believed to be viable enough to supply a cement industry for a considerable number
of years.