April 11, 2019
In the Philippines’ Southwestern Tagalog Region, a celebration was held to commemorate the newly renovated passenger terminal building (PTB) at the only airport serving the island province of Marinduque. This airport is located in the province’s Municipality of Gasan.
The work on extensively rehabilitating Marinduque Airport’s PTB began exactly three years earlier. Marinduque News reporter Romeo A. Mataac Jr., in his article on this modernized infrastructure, highlighted its major upgrades. He noted, “The rehabilitation project improved the 560-square-mile [1,450-square-kilometer] PTB by dropping the height of its ceiling, installing air conditioning units and X-ray machines, and replacing its accordion walls, making it more convenient, safer and more secure, unlike its previous design.”
Arthur “Art” Planta Tugade, who served as secretary of transportation of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was the guest of honor for the Thursday ceremony celebrating the rehabilitated PTB. The other public officials on hand for this event included Captain Manuel Antonio Tamayo, aviation and airports undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Transportation; Myra Paz Abubakar, an assistant secretary for the country’s Department of Tourism; Romulo Bacorro, governor of Marinduque; Ed Monreal, general manager for the Manila International Airport Authority; and Ricardo Banayat, deputy director general for administration at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
In the accompanying photo, the aforementioned public officials can be seen unveiling a commemorative plaque in front of the PTB. From left to right, these individuals are Tamayo, Bacorro, Tugade, Abubakar, Banayat, and Monreal.
Along with outlining the extensive modifications to the PTB, Mataac underscored the larger anticipated benefits of this improved structure for Marinduque. He stated, “The island province, which is home to one of the country’s oldest religious festivals, the Moriones Lenten Rites, is also famous for its old churches (Boac Cathedral and Santa Cruz Church), tranquil beaches, rock formations, and explorable caves. The government recognizes that developing an airport such as that of Marinduque’s will provide a boost to the province’s trade, economy, and tourism.”
Photo Credit: Public Domain
Additional information on airports in the Philippines is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_the_Philippines
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