Can Clark or Bulacan airport fix NAIA woes?

By: Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines — Senators have renewed their call for the development of easily accessible international gateways that can serve as alternatives to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which was paralyzed for almost two days last week after a Chinese passenger jet blocked the main runway.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, vice chairman of the Senate committee on public services, said the NAIA is already handling 42 million passengers a year or way beyond its annual capacity of 30 million passengers.

“Another airport that can be considered a better alternative and more modern than NAIA is a long-term solution. If, God forbid, another accident happens, and we don’t have a twin airport, what then? The consequences could be worse than what we saw,” he said.

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San Miguel Corp., which has proposed to develop a new four-runway airport—dubbed the New Manila International Airport (NMIA)—in Bulacan said it could commence operations in as early as six years upon approval of the $15-billion project.

The business group Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is also calling on the government to fast-track the approval of a private sector proposal to upgrade the NAIA to address congestion—this being the most cost-effective and fastest solution to the severe congestion at the Manila airport.

The NAIA Consortium—composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, AC Infrastructure Holdings, Alliance Global Group, Asia’s Emerging Dragon, Filinvest Development, JG Summit Holdings and Metro Pacific Investments—has secured an original proponent status (OPS) for its offer to upgrade the main international gateway for about P106 billion for a concession period of 15 years.

An OPS would give the consortium the right to match offers from other parties when a Swiss challenge is conducted for the project.

Ejercito said it is vital that the new airport or the new terminal at the Clark International Airport (CIA) should be accompanied by an intermodal transport connection terminal, including a high-speed railway.

He said the construction of phase 1 of the new terminal at Clark—budgeted with P17.6 billion—is now 15 percent complete and expected to open in 2020.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III urged the government to “go full blast” with the development of other air transport hubs such as the CIA, stressing that: “We can’t dillydally anymore. I made the same call in 2016. Let’s not wait for another airplane incident which hassled thousands of passengers to realize there should be an urgent and comprehensive government plan to decongest the NAIA.”

He said the NAIA can serve southern Metro Manila and Southern Luzon to Bicol while Clark can address the needs of passengers from northern Metro Manila and northern Philippines, and that both hubs may share the handling of travel and logistics flow to the Visayas and Mindanao.

The underutilized airport in the former US military base at Clark in Pampanga has an area of 2,367 hectares, compared to NAIA’s 700 hectares.

Pimentel pointed out that with NAIA’s single runway, flight delays average 45 minutes per day aside from monstrous traffic jams to and from the airport.

He noted that Clark could eventually service “flight transfers of international passengers, such as our OFWs, who need to go home to their families in the Visayas and Mindanao.”

“If you’re going to the province anyway via a connecting flight and you don’t need to stay in Manila, Clark International could be a better transfer point. Proposals such as these can work and should be tried,” he said, adding that the development of Clark should be a core component of the government’s Build, Build, Build program.

As the upgrade of NAIA is being undertaken, the MAP said a concurrent expansion of Clark would ensure that future air traffic bottlenecks are prevented.

“The MAP urges the adoption of an airport complementation strategy whereby the existing NAIA and Clark international airports are developed and operated as an integrated system with the two airports complementing each other, ideally with an express rail link in place,” the group said, adding that it opposes the closure of NAIA as this would be a “very drastic and counterproductive move.” – With Louella Desiderio, Iris Gonzales

Toll Road Opening Eases Trip to NAIA

By: Philippine Daily Inquirer

September 23rd, 2016 01:23 AM

NOWOPEN The first segment of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway is now open. It will link Terminals 1 and 2 in Parañaque City to Macapagal Boulevard and the Entertainment City in Pasay City. For the first month, motorists will not pay toll for using the expressway. RICHARD A. REYES

Access to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) just got a little easier.

Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) opened on Thursday the initial section of a toll road seeking to cut the notorious congestion around the Naia complex, the country’s busiest air gateway.

Starting on Thursday, motorists were allowed to use the portion of the Naia Expressway Project Phase 2 that links Terminals 1 and 2 to Macapagal Boulevard, which is near the Entertainment City casino complex.

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The rest of the toll road, which extends further to Terminal 3, and Metro Manila Skyway and South Luzon Expressway, would be opened “before the Christmas season,” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a statement. SMC also operates the Skyway and SLEx.

The opening toll fee of P35 for light vehicles has been waived for the first month of operations. Also waived are the fee of P69 for larger Class 2 vehicles and P104 for Class 3 vehicles.

“Finally, our countrymen will feel the benefit of having faster and more direct access to Naia Terminals 1, 2 and 3. It will also go a long way in easing traffic congestion in surrounding cities, and support growth in southern Metro Manila,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang.

SMC estimated that more than 40,000 motorists would use the Naia Expressway Phase 2 daily.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the Naia Expressway Phase 2, once fully opened, would cut road congestion by over 60 percent.

PPP project

Before the expressway opening, average travel time between the Skyway and Naia Terminal 1 is 24 minutes, according to the DPWH. That would be cut to 8.2 minutes with Phase 2 of the airport expressway.

The project was among the public-private partnership (PPP) projects launched by the Aquino administration.

SMC, through Vertex Tollways Development Inc., won the P17.9-billion project in 2013 after its P11-billion bid bested the offer of sole rival Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

The conglomerate, which has been diversifying into infrastructure and power, will operate the expressway for 30 years.

In his statement, Ang asked for the public’s understanding, partly due to the added road congestion during the construction of the toll road.

The project was delayed by over a year, as the government dealt with massive right of way issues, including the relocation of various water pipes and power cables along the toll road’s alignment.

“The DPWH would ensure 24/7 operation in the last segment of Naia Expressway,” Villar said.

He added that the Duterte administration was conscious of delivering on its promise. “We will set deadlines and contractors would have to abide.”

Terminals 3 and 4

The Naia Expressway Project is a four-lane, 12.65-kilometer elevated expressway (including ramps) and 2.22-kilometer at-grade road traversing Sales Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Parañaque River, MIAA Road and Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.

When all phases are completed, the Naia Expressway Project is expected to provide easy access to and from Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 and will interface with the South Luzon Expressway through Sales Interchange, Manila Cavite Toll Expressway and Macapagal Boulevard.

A total of 16 off and on ramps are being built along strategic locations at Villamor Air Base, Resorts World, Terminal 3, MIAA Road, Imelda Avenue, Cavitex, Seaside Drive and Macapagal Boulevard.

BI Reshuffles NAIA Personnel to Prevent Corruption

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Philippine Daily Inquirer

By: Julie M. Aurelio, 

An immigration personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport processes a foreign national who has been barred from the Philippines for violating the conditions of his stay. (AFP file photo)

MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration has revamped its immigration head supervisors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to put an end to familiarization and corruption in its frontline units.

Most immigration officers at the BI main office in Intramuros will be reassigned to the airports as a first step in the reshuffle of immigration personnel, according to the BI.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the reassignment would be in line with implementing President Duterte’s marching orders to eradicate familiarization in the agency’s operating units.

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“The revamp is aimed at preventing fraternization among employees, which was pinpointed as a major source of corruption in government agencies,” the immigration chief said on Friday.

The revamp will affect about two-thirds of immigration personnel stationed at the NAIA’s three terminals.

Morente stressed that the reorganization of immigration agents stationed at the airports would be the first in a series of personnel reassignments upon his assumption last July 1.

“In the next days, we will be issuing new orders reassigning to the airports the immigration officers currently stationed at the main office for faster and more efficient service,” he said.

Aside from designating new immigration head supervisors, the BI chief also reassigned immigration officers to head key units at the main office and subports.

BI spokesperson Tonette Mangrobang said the agency would beef up its campaign against illegal aliens as part of the President’s order to law enforcers to crack down on illegal drug syndicates usually run by foreign criminals.

“The restructuring and streamlining of the BI’s intelligence and enforcement units was prioritized to serve notice to illegal aliens and foreign criminals that their days are numbered,” she added.

Earlier, retired police general Charles Calima Jr. was designated to lead the BI intelligence division.  The fugitive search unit is now headed by Jose Carlitos Lucas.

Mangrobang said the FSU reverted to its former status as a unit under the intelligence division.  SFM

NAIA Manila Airport Outage Causes Chaos

82 FLIGHTS CANCELED, 79 DELAYED IN 5-HOUR BLACKOUT

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By: Jeannette I. Andrade, Karl Angelica R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer, 

The bag carousel area at the NAIA Terminal 3 is enveloped in darkness in this photo taken at 12 am, Sunday, April 3, 2016. Only one carousel is working. PHOTO BY ‪@sheenapedrieta THROUGH MIGUEL CAMUS / INQUIRER BUSINESS

It was due to one broken generator, said an airport manager, but a senatorial candidate called the incident a “national shame.”

A five-hour power outage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 over the weekend canceled 82 domestic flights and delayed 79 international and local flights as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, affecting more than 15,000 passengers.

Affected passengers and netizens said the incident once again highlighted the incompetence of the airport management and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

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Others wondered why Naia 3 didn’t have an uninterruptible power supply.

Some even doubted the airport’s capacity to withstand terrorist attacks following the Brussels bombings. Netizen @raymtweets said “a power outage can cripple Naia … what if it were something worse? Unbelievable.”

“It took a terrorist attack to shut down Brussels airport. In Manila’s Naia Terminal 3, it took a … Uhhhh … A random power outage,” said Chiki (@chikinonymous).

The blackout hit Terminal 3, which services mostly domestic flights, late on Saturday and power was not restored until early on Sunday.

Exhausted, long queues

Exhausted passengers sprawled on the floor as check-in counters and luggage carousels shut down. Long queues formed outside the terminal as entrances were closed until power was restored.

Terminal 3 handles an average of 350 domestic and international flights daily, according to data from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). It is one of four terminals in a complex that was once dubbed by the travel website Guide to Sleeping in Airports as the world’s worst due to leaking toilets and creaking facilities.

Naia 3 manager Octavio Lina said the terminal’s electrical system suffered problems when power supplied by a Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) substation serving the area in Pasay City tripped at around 8:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Lina said that even when power was restored less than a minute after, for most of the areas serviced by the Meralco substation, electricity still had failed to kick in at the Naia.

Genset broken

What prolonged the power outage, he pointed out, was the failure of one generator set to work. “We have 10 generators at the terminal and one of them, which was supposed to provide electricity to the main building, did not work,” he told the Inquirer.

The Naia 3 manager said the gates of the main building were immediately closed and no one was allowed entry because of the power outage. “We had to close the gates and prohibit entry because none of the X-ray security screening machines had power,” Lina said, explaining that the move was meant to fully secure the facility.

The closure resulted in heavy passenger congestion at the terminal.

Cebu Pacific Air said it canceled 78 domestic flights due to the power outage, affecting nearly 14,000 passengers. These flights were scheduled between 8:30 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

Power at the terminal was fully restored around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Lost belongings

Luis Arevalo and Jc Aala tagged Naia’s official Twitter account to complain about lost belongings, adding that the airport management is an embarrassment for Filipinos.

Others were forced to buy new plane tickets after their flights were canceled, like what happened to Louise Pasadilla’s father.

Ian Sta. Maria’s father wasn’t able to fly home from Cagayan de Oro City after suffering the same delay.

Netizens Ram Lopez-Vito Bucoy and George M. Macua said they were made to pay P1,620 for travel tax and an additional P500 for airport fee (for international flights) only to be given such a poor service.

@HotCoco described the incident as “nakakagalit,” especially after paying the fees.

Raymond Reteracion asked asked why there was an absence of back-up supply when there are fees and budget to support services.

Incompetent

Abaya was not spared criticism. Arvin Zurc finds the outage “ridiculous,” adding that the situation only “shows the incompetence of the airport management and the DOTC Sec.”

Cesar Chavez (@sarchavez) tweets that Abaya is “the worst and most incompetent DOTC secretary.”

A parody account of broadcaster Luchi Cruz-Valdez flooded the timeline with tirades for Abaya, demanding in all caps that the secretary do his job.

“Apparently, Naia has around 10 Power Generators. Drained nga lang, according to Jun Abaya. Edi *applause emojis*,” the account added.

Before the incident, passengers had been complaining about poor maintenance of the terminal, citing collapsed floors, dilapidated facilities and leaks.

Two lawmakers from Metro Manila called for heads to roll after the power outage. One of them even branded the incident at the country’s main airport a national shame.

Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian said Abaya and Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado should be sacked for “sleeping on their jobs.”

“This is no longer a laughing matter,” said Gatchalian, a member of Sen. Grace Poe’s senatorial ticket and of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Shameful

Another senatorial candidate on Poe’s team, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, said the incident was a national shame, expressing disbelief at what happened at Naia 3.

“I am appalled by the fact that Naia 3 had no contingency or back-up plan for such an event,” he said in a separate statement.

“It has shown the highest level of incompetence and lack of foresight on the part of the DOTC, which had all but declared it would take a direct hand in running our airports. It’s shameful to say the least,” said Romulo, a member of the Liberal Party.

Romulo said the incident firmed up his resolve to push for the enactment of an airline passenger bill of rights to impose penalties not only on airlines but also on responsible government agencies.

READ: Poe camp: Naia-3 power outage a national embarrassment

The DOTC noted that there was a maintenance operation at the airport terminal when a trip occurred at the Meralco main line.

Lina assured the public that the Naia 3 management was looking into why power supplied to the airport by Meralco failed to kick in and why its generator set connected to the passenger side, considered a critical part of the terminal, failed to work.

“Our power lines and electrical facilities are being checked. I am meeting with Meralco and our technical personnel tomorrow (Monday) to determine what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again,” he told the Inquirer.

Meralco said a transmission line tripped briefly but was restored in minutes, suggesting that the problem could be with the airport’s systems.

The four Naia terminals were designed for 17 million passengers annually, but overuse has made the airport notorious for flight delays.

Plans to build a new airport outside Manila have not materialized under President Aquino. An excruciatingly slow infrastructure overhaul has led to chronic commuter train breakdowns and traffic jams.

Apology

The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) issued an apology to the public. The Miaa said “[m]easures are now being worked out to make sure that a power outage does not occur again in the future.”

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said, “We sincerely hope for our guests’ understanding, as this situation is beyond our control.”

The budget airline gave affected passengers the option of a full refund or a rebooking within a month of the departure date.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said some of its flights were canceled or delayed but could not immediately say how many. It said it was waiving rebooking fees and offering refunds to passengers affected by the power outage.

The passengers have the option to refund or rebook flights without charges within 30 days from their originally scheduled flight date, according to PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna. With reports from DJ Yap and AFP