By Aerol John Pateña – PNA News
MANILA — The new Panglao International Airport in Bohol, set to be inaugurated on Tuesday (Nov. 27), is seen to boost tourist arrivals in the province, with a projected accommodation of some two million passengers annually.
The Department of Transportation said the construction of the country’s first eco-airport began in June 2015 but accumulated up to 48 percent of slippage due to delays.
“When the Duterte administration assumed office in 2016, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport had a slippage of 48 percent. The completion rate was only 6.48 percent based on official records from June 2015 to June 2016,” the DOTr said in a statement over the weekend.
The airport’s construction was completed three years ahead of its target schedule on 2021 after DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade ordered for a 24/7 construction schedule to fast-track its completion.
The PHP8.9-billion Panglao Airport will use natural ventilation while solar panels will be installed on the roof of its passenger terminal building, which will cover around one-third of the airport’s passenger terminal building energy requirement.
