THE new passenger terminal building at the Port of Cagayan de Oro is set for inauguration in less than two weeks, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said.
In a statement yesterday, the DoTr said it has scheduled for July 15 the ceremonial launch of the 5,597-square meter terminal, which Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade earlier said he aims to privatize.
“The construction of this brand new building will greatly strengthen the region as the global gateway to Mindanao. Once we inaugurate this on July 15, we are opening Cagayan De Oro to the nation and to the rest of the world as we pursue progress for our seaports,” Jay Daniel R. Santiago, general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) was quoted as saying in the statement.
In May, Mr. Tugade told reporters he plans to privatize the operations of several transportation facilities that are operational or are currently being built, specifically naming the new passenger terminal building at the Port of Cagayan de Oro.
He said then that he does not want the regulator of a facility to be its operator as well, referring to the Light Rail Transit Line 2 operated and regulated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).
The Notice to Proceed for the construction of the passenger terminal building in the Cagayan de Oro was issued by the PPA in June 2016. The project is set to become the country’s biggest seaport passenger terminal.
The two-storey terminal will have a passenger seating capacity of 1,176 on the ground floor and a capacity of 1,221 on the second floor, enabling it to handle 3,000 passengers every day from only 1,000 in the old terminal.
The passenger terminal building will also be equipped with x-ray scanners, body scanners, security cameras, passenger boarding stations, assistance desks, green areas, a play area and a child care station.
“This is a huge step towards giving the people of Cagayan de Oro a comfortable life through enhanced connectivity, a legacy promised by President Rodrigo R. Duterte,” Mr. Tugade said in the statement. — Denise A. Valdez
