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Sibulan, Negros Oriental
March 11, 2021

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte lauded the achievements of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for its completion of development projects within the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport, one of the two (2) infrastructure projects that the President inaugurated during his visit to Negros Oriental.

“I commend the Department of Transportation, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and all our partners who contributed to the completion of this project despite the sudden lockdown due to the pandemic,” the President said.

These projects included the re-blocking of the apron, construction of two (2) taxiways, expansion of the existing Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), runway asphalt overlay and shoulder grade correction, and the expansion of the CAAP Administrative Building.

The PhP252 million rehabilitation project added vast improvement of the airport’s operational capabilities, expanding its total floor area from 1,100 square meters (sq.m.) to 1,842 sq.m.

With the development projects at the airport mainly serving the province of Negros Oriental and neighboring Siquijor Island, an upgrade on the airport’s capability to land heavier aircrafts can now also be seen, and the passenger capacity of the PTB increases from 330 to 450 following the expansion of the building.

“I hope that this project will inspire us further to provide better services and opportunities for our people,” the President added, citing that the new developments could potentially boost the local businesses and serve as a catalyst for the province’s economic recovery.

The new passageways and facilities within the airport spearheaded by the DOTr and CAAP serve as an integral part of their regional transport infrastructure development drive under President Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program.

The Chief Executive reminded everyone that the ongoing health crisis is not over and reiterated that the prescribed health and safety protocols must still be observed.

After the inaugural ceremony, the President proceeded to lead the inauguration of the Port Operations Building (POB) in the Port of Dumaguete.

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