The government inaugurated the country’s biggest port Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) at the Port of Cagayan de Oro.
The Department of Transportation and Philippine Ports Authority said the new facility had tripled Port of Cagayan de Oro’s capacity, strengthening its position as the “global gateway of Mindanao.”
“With this terminal, you will have a convergence of people for mobility that will lead to economic growth,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement.
According to the DOTr, the new passenger building is a two-story 5,600-square-meter structure located within the port’s terminal complex.
The PTB features brand new facilities that will enhance the safety and security of the sea-traveling public.
Services include security checkpoints with x-ray scanners for baggage, body scanners, CCTVs, passenger boarding stations, collector’s booth, public assistance desk, designated green areas, storage room, and offices for passenger-related agencies such as quarantine, tourist police and the Coast Guard.
“We believe in the role of seaports in developing our regions and boosting local economies. We hope that this new PTB will contribute to the socio-economic growth, not just of CDO, but of the entire Northern Mindanao region,” PPA general manager Jay Santiago said.
As of May 2019, the DOTr said it had completed 163 commercial ports while another 57 were ongoing.
Large projects under procurement are the Cebu International Container Port and Davao Sasa Port.