President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday pointed to the Antique Airport Development Project as a benchmark for cost-efficient and well-executed public infrastructure, stressing that proper use of public funds can deliver high-impact results.

Marcos said he was surprised by the relatively low cost of the project despite its extensive upgrades.

“When they told me the total cost for all the improvements is only P120 million, I was surprised and I said it’s cheap. The control tower alone is just P42 million,” Marcos said as he led the inauguration of the newly rehabilitated Antique airport in San Jose de Buenavista town.

Key upgrades include a new Passenger Terminal Building expanded from 181 square meters to 2,224 square meters, increasing seating capacity from 64 to 360 passengers, and the addition of six check-in counters from the previous two.

The airport also features a newly developed ramp capable of accommodating up to four jet aircraft simultaneously, an expanded seven-story control tower, modern baggage handling and flight information systems and a runway extension from 1,430 meters to 1,800 meters, now allowing jet aircraft operations.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines explained that the new terminal building costs around P120 million, while the entire development project, which runs from 2017 to 2023, costs around P1.5 billion.

The President underscored that the project demonstrates what government can achieve when funds are allocated and spent properly.

“This is a good example that if we spend people’s money correctly, we will see that we can do so much — faster, cheaper, and more efficient,” he said.