PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines — President Benigno S. Aquino III inspected on Monday the ongoing construction of the new international airport here, which is one of the administration’s main infrastructure projects to boost tourism.

The facility, targeted for completion in early 2027, aims to upgrade the province’s capacity to draw and handle more tourists.

The president was briefed by an official of the Korean group Kumho Industrial Co. Ltd. (Kumho-GS) during a 30-minute stop over at the airport’s expansion site beside the existing domestic airport before proceeding with his party to Cebu City.

The President was accompanied by Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez and senior officials of Malacañang and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).

The US$82.9-million (P3.6 billion) airport develop project, which the Korean company reported to be at a completion stage of 30 percent, is funded by a soft loan from the Korean Eximbank under its Economic Development Cooperation Fund facility.

Once completed, the facility will boast an annual capacity of 2 million passengers from the existing domestic airport’s current capacity of 350,000 passengers a year, according to a D0TC primer.

The project involves mainly the expansion and improvement of the existing runaway and related facilities including the construction of a new passenger terminal and air traffic control tower.

President Aquino, with Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez and senior officials of Malacañang and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) inspect on Monday the ongoing construction of the new international airport in Puerto Princesa City