As President Marcos inspected the new developments at the Passenger Terminal Building Port of Lucena, he vowed that improvements on ports across the country will continue.

"I hope that this will be sufficient at least for the near future but of course we will continue to development," Marcos said during his inspection at the Lucena Port on Tuesday, July 21.

He emphasized that the improvements undertaken within the Lucena Port were necessary because it caters to 500,000 passengers every year.

"Kaya't kailangan na talagang i-upgrade ang mga facilities. At matulungan ang traveling public at hindi sila masyadong mahirapan (There was indeed a need to upgrade the facilities and help the traveling public ease their travel)," Marcos said.

More developments will be conducted within the port, he said, hoping that these will be completed by next year.

He also mentioned the transfer of vendors who would be displaced due to the improvements.

The Port of Lucena is one of the country's key ports which connects Quezon Province with the provinces of Marinduque, Masbate, and Romblon.

Among the improvements to the terminal is a larger, brighter, and more spacious seating area. While the previous facility had a seating capacity of only 607, the upgraded terminal can now comfortably accommodate up to 928 waiting passengers.

The new ticketing counters have also been redesigned to make ticket purchases faster and more convenient. Nursing and prayer rooms have been added for passengers, and solar panels have been installed to help reduce electricity costs.

The development of the Port of Lucena passenger terminal building is part of the broader modernization program for ports across Southern Luzon, Malacañang said.

During his visit to the province, the President also led the awarding of certificates of entitlement (COE) to 100 Lucena City beneficiaries.

“Kaya sa pamamagitan nitong ating ginagawa na pagbibigay ng Certificate of Entitlement, ay natiyakan na po ating mga benepisyaryo na sila po ay maaari na, dahil hawak na ang Certificate of Entitlement, mapabilis ang proseso sa pagbibigay ng titulo ng mga lupa (Through the issuance of these Certificates of Entitlement, we are assuring our beneficiaries that, now that they have these certificates in hand, the process of issuing the titles to their land can be expedited)," Marcos said during the event held at the Lucena City Convention Center on Tuesday.

The COE grant under Presidential Proclamation No. 436 is part of the Expanded 4PH Program, allocating 11 hectares of residential lots for the city’s urban poor and government employees.

Under the program, the government aims to grant COEs to more than 1,000 beneficiaries in Lucena City.

In March last year, 185 beneficiaries received COEs, and the government targets to complete the handover next year with the help of the local government.

Presidential Proclamation No. 436, s. 2003, signed on August 11, 2003, by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, declared a 17.6-hectare parcel of land in Barangay Ibabang Iyam, Lucena City, as a reservation for government facilities, housing sites for government employees, and the Lucena City urban poor.

Also on Tuesday, the Chief Executive met with the Presidential scholars in Lucena City.

Speaking before the scholars, he urged them to equip themselves with knowledge and education to become the country’s future nation builders.

He also emphasized that education is a lifelong asset that no one can take away once acquired.

“Nasa inyo ‘yan habambuhay, araw-araw sa buong buhay ninyo, magagamit ninyo ang kaalaman na ‘yan para tulungan ang inyong mga sarili, para tulungan ang inyong mga pamilya, para tulungan ang inyong mga komunidad (That stays with you for life. Every single day, throughout your lifetime, you can use that knowledge to help yourselves, support your families, and serve your communities),” the President said.

Part of the President’s Lucena City event was interacting with 165 Bagong Pilipinas Presidential Scholars who had their orientation.

After that, Marcos led the ceremonial turnover of Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF) financial assistance to 10 of the 165 selected Bagong Pilipinas Presidential Scholars, amounting to P20,000 each.

Lucena City’s 33 barangays already received the SCPF financial assistance amounting to P6.60 million (P200,000 for each barangay), which includes the allocation for the Presidential Scholars.

Barangay captains in the city received the support during the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas 2026 National Congress on July 17,  2026.

As of July 17,, the SCPF-Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program has released an allocation totaling P6.97 billion to 34,830 barangays.