PRESIDENT Duterte on Saturday said the newly completed passenger terminal building of the Clark International Airport (CRK) will help ease air traffic congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and promote a more convenient and safer travel in the country.
The President, during the inspection of the new passenger terminal, said the improved infrastructure project will help bring in more people in the area as well as boost the economic activities in North and Central Luzon.
He said the additional terminal will improve connectivity, mobility, create jobs, and disperse economic activity to the regions.
“This development will also certainly boost economic growth in North and Central Luzon and provide these regions their own gateway to the rest of the Philippines and the world.
As we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and adapt to a new normal, may we all look forward to a safer, easier, and more comfortable travel experience here at the Clark International Airport,” he said.
The terminal building, a component of the administration’s Build, Build, Build Program, can accommodate eight million passengers a year, twice the airport’s current average capacity of four million passengers annually.
The construction was handled by a consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure Limited, while the operations and maintenance were awarded to Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD).
The President commended the Department of Transportation, Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the private sector for the completion of the project.
No final date yet has been set as to when the new terminal will open. The initial target was to open it for domestic travelers this July and for international passengers in September.
Present during the event were former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, French Ambassador to the Philippines Michèle Boccoz, and other government officials.
By Jocelyn Montemayor -July 19, 2021
