(Eagle News)–The Department of Transportation and the Philippine Ports Authority inaugurated on Monday, July 15, what they said was the country’s biggest port passenger terminal.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, together with PPA General Manager Jay Santiago and PPA Port Manager for Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro, Isidro Butaslac Jr., led the inauguration of the two-storey terminal in the Port of Cagayan de Oro.
The new terminal has a capacity of 3,000 passengers, or triple its previous capacity, the DOTr said.
It has X-ray scanners for baggage, body scanners, closed-circuit television cameras, passenger boarding stations, collector’s booths, public assistance desks, designated green areas, a storage room, and offices for passenger-related agencies such as quarantine, tourist police, and the Coast Guard, the agency said.
According to the DOTr, the terminal also has a play area for children, a child care station, drinking fountains, toilet facilities, an urgent medical care room, food stalls, pasalubong centers, and a special boarding lane for senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and women traveling with children below two years old.
“Ito ‘hong proyektong ito ay magbibigay tibay sa kagustuhan ng ating Pangulo na magkaroon ng mobility and connectivity sa Visayas at Mindanao. With this terminal, you will have a convergence of people for mobility that will lead to economic growth,” Tugade said, as he thanked the PPA for their efforts in completing the project.
For his part, Santiago said the PTB would stand as the “emblem of our service and dedication.”
“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,” Santiago said.
