DOTr sets inauguration of vital port, airport projects in Dumaguete today
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The completion of two transport infrastructure projects in Negros Island is seen to boost trade and tourism in the region even amid the pandemic, transport officials said Wednesday.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade listed the two projects as the upgraded Port of Dumaguete and the newly-developed Dumaguete (Sibulan) Airport. The two projects are set to be officially inaugurated today, Thursday, March 11, 2021.
“We need to roll up our sleeves and make haste. These projects that we are developing should be utilized by the Filipino people in no time — that’s why we are not just inaugurating one, but two infrastructure projects in Dumaguete,” he said.
With the project now done, the Port of Dumaguete now has a two-story port operations building that can accommodate roughly 500 passengers. It also enables the port management to monitor the arrivals and departures of vessels.
The project was implemented with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
“Even in the midst of a pandemic, the PPA, under the guidance of Secretary Tugade, never stopped in delivering much-needed port infrastructure projects. We will be relentless in building and rehabilitating ports nationwide as this is our commitment to the Filipino people,” PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago said.
The rehabilitation of Dumaguete Airport, meanwhile, involved the re-blocking of the apron, construction of two taxiways, expansion of the existing passenger terminal building, runway asphalt overlay and shoulder grade correction, and expansion of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) Administrative Building.
The improvements have upgraded the airport’s capability to accommodate heavier aircraft and increased the terminal’s passenger capacity from 330 to 450.
“We are excited to formally inaugurate the newly-developed facilities of the Dumaguete Airport this week. These improvements are what the Philippine aviation industry badly needs right now, given the adverse impact of the pandemic. We are excited to finally witness, once again, a vibrant atmosphere in the country’s airports,” Caap Director General Jim C. Sydiongco said.