ILOILO CITY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s expected visit to inaugurate Antique province’s newly expanded airport on 5 December has been postponed, though preparations are continuing for what officials are calling one of the province’s most significant infrastructure upgrades in years.

While the presidential touchdown is delayed, anticipation remains high for the revamped facility, which is seen as a major economic game-changer for the region. A new schedule for the inauguration is pending.

At the heart of the project is a dramatically enlarged passenger terminal building. The facility has been transformed from an aging terminal with a 64-passenger capacity into a modern 2,224-square-meter building capable of handling more than 300 passengers simultaneously.

The terminal features wider departure and arrival halls, modern check-in counters, improved restrooms, and dedicated facilities for persons with disabilities and breastfeeding mothers.

Beyond the terminal, the airport is also nearing completion on a runway extension, which will increase its length from 1,700 to 1,800 meters.

This extension brings the runway closer to accommodating larger aircraft, such as Airbus models. The upgrade is the latest in a series of expansions since the runway measured 1,200 meters in 2016.

Provincial officials see the modernization as a crucial boost to tourism, logistics and mobility for Antiqueños who have long been served by limited air access. The revamped airport, they say, signals the province’s shift from a quiet rural area to a rising gateway ready for heavier traffic and bigger economic opportunities.

When the new schedule is finalized, the President is expected to be joined by key transport officials, including Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Lt. Gen. Raul L. del Rosario.