| President Benigno S. Aquino III will be in Palawan and Cebu Monday to inspect and lead the groundbreaking of two major infrastructure projects in the said provinces, Malacañang said on Sunday.
In Palawan, the President is scheduled to visit its capital city of Puerto Princesa to check the ongoing improvements being done on its airport, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told Radyo ng Bayan.
The Puerto Princesa Airport Development Project (PPDAP) is worth P5.23-billion, Coloma said, and was approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in October 17, 2014.
The project seeks to enhance the quality of service of the existing Puerto Princesa Airport and improve its safety in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
Financing the PPDAP is the Export-Import Bank of Korea under the operation and management of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of Korea.
South Korea’s Kumho Industrial Co. Ltd. and GS Engineering & Construction jointly designed and built the structure with a target date of completion set on January 17, 2017.
In Cebu, President Aquino will oversee the groundbreaking of a new passenger terminal at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), which is considered a major international gateway in the country.
The project costs P17.5-billion and was green-lighted by NEDA in 2013, Coloma said. It is being carried out through public-private partnership to increase MCIA’s passenger handling capacity from 4.5 million to 12.5 million per annum.
Both infrastructure projects, Coloma said, are expected to revitalize the country’s tourism industry that will likewise contribute to the national economy. PND (hdc) |
