President Rodrigo Duterte said the newly-inaugurated seaports in Mindoro Oriental and Occidental provinces will help boost the tourism industry in the province.

"It is my pleasure to be with you on the inauguration of the various seaport development projects here in Mindoro. We welcome this occasion with much optimism because these public infrastructures will improve mobility and productivity and help boost economic growth in the area," Duterte said as he led the simultaneous inauguration of eight integrated seaport development projects in the two Mindoro provinces and inspection of the Calapan Port Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) in Mindoro Oriental.

"The island of Mindoro plays a significant role in boosting the country’s interconnectivity as it serves as a gateway for passengers and goods coming from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao and vice versa," he said.

"Apart from seamlessly connecting our regions, these ports will also boost the tourism industry in the island of Mindoro. Indeed these projects affirm the government’s strong commitment to improve the lives of Filipinos by pursuing vital structures projects even amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

Duterte said his "administration is focused on addressing the current and future needs of the country through all its policies and programs."

"As we put the welfare of our kababayans on the top of our priorities we can simply find ways to uplift their lives especially those who are in need the most. Therefore I ask my fellow workers in the government as well as the private sector partner to continue working together to achieve inclusive progress allowing much needed public services to become more responsive and accessible," he said.

"I also hope and pray that the outcome of our joint efforts will inspire our citizens to participate more actively in the shared task of nation building," he added. Robina Asido/DMS