President Rodrigo Duterte will lead the inauguration of two multimillion “Build, Build, Build” projects in Negros Oriental on Thursday.

These are the newly rehabilitated airport passenger terminal building, costing some PHP258.8 million, and the newly constructed city port operations building amounting to some PHP114 million, a media release from the Philippine Information Agency here on Wednesday afternoon said.

The airport upgrade project now allows larger and heavier aircraft such as the A319 and A320 to land, while the expanded passenger terminal, from 1,152 square meters to 1,842 square meters in size, has increased its holding capacity from 330 to 450 people.

The new two-story building at the city port also features a passenger terminal that can accommodate 500 passengers en route to nearby islands like Cebu, Siquijor, and Bohol.

Duterte is expected to arrive at 4 p.m. at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport for the ceremonial unveiling of the marker, to be assisted by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, the media release said.

He will deliver his speech afterward and then proceed at 5 p.m. to the city port for the unveiling of the marker there. He will also be accompanied by Tugade and Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago.

Joining the President in his visit to Dumaguete are Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Wendel Avisado; Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque, and Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, among others. (PNA)