Duterte to inaugurate Mactan-Cebu Int’l Airport terminal

President Rodrigo Duterte will lead the inauguration of the newly built Terminal 2 of Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu City on Thursday.

The new terminal is envisioned to be the “world’s friendliest resort airport,” according to the Department of Transportation.

Apart from Duterte, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, key cabinet members, senators, congressmen, and executives of private partner, GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. are expected to attend the inauguration.

GMR Megawide Cebu started constructing the terminal building in June 2015.

The aim is to reduce airport congestion and increase annual passenger capacity from 4.5 million passengers per year to 12.2 million.

“It was our job to make sure that construction will be completed by June 2018 as stated in the contract, and that’s what we did, and that’s why we are here. No delays, no corruption,” Tugade said in a statement.

The terminal was designed in collaboration with world-class Cebuano and Filipino artists, as well as international design and architectural firms, with the aim of providing a welcoming ambiance that is distinctly Filipino, according to the DOTr.
 
With a floor area of 65,000 square meters, twice more than the 27,000 minimum floor area under the concession agreement, the terminal is designed to increase the airport’s total handling capacity.

Part of the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, Terminal 2 will start commercial operations on July 1 catering cater to international flights. The existing Terminal 1 will handle domestic flights.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport is the second largest airport and one of the busiest in the country.

As the premiere gateway to the Visayas and Southern Philippines, it is currently handling an estimated 5.9 million passengers per year—is beyond its capacity of 4.5 million passengers. —Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News