DMCI tapped to rehab NAIA I

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is tapping DMCI Holdings Inc. of the Consunji family to undertake the much needed rehabilitation of the three decade-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in an interview with reporters during the blessing and inauguration of three new stations yesterday of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) that the agency has awarded the P1.2-billion contract to DMCI.

Abaya said the contract awarded to DMCI involves the construction and other works such as architectural, electrical, plumbing, among others.

He clarified that the contract does not involve the operation and maintenance of the country’s largest and busiest international gateway.

The DOTC chief said the organizing committee of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is giving the agency until Dec. 1 next year to finish the project as the Philippines is set to host the APEC Summit next year.

 â€œWe will try our best to complete it, we are really behind but that is our target. This is long overdue and hopefully it will be completed as scheduled,” Abaya stressed.

The DOTC earlier awarded a consultancy and management services contract to TCGI Engineers that submitted the lowest bid of P34 million for the P38.7 million project.

The rehabilitation of NAIA 1, established in 1981, would be handled by the original architectural and engineering firm Leandro V. Locsin and Associates while the Cobonpue, Layug, and Pineda Group would serve as airport design consultants.

“The group of Cobunpue, Layug, and Pineda are on board,” Abaya said.

Malacañang earlier issued a P1.2-billion allotment for the structural and aesthetical improvements on NAIA Terminal. NAIA has been named anew by travel website Sleeping in Airports as the worst airport in Asia.

From the P1.1 billion allotment, P500 million is provisionally set aside for aesthetics and interior design of the airport facility, P300 million would be spent for the construction of rapid exit taxiway to relieve runway congestion and minimize delays of incoming or outgoing flights.

Another P20 million would be used for the repair and rehabilitation of all the 72 toilet facilities in the terminal, which includes fixing the lavatories, water closets, urinals and amenities.

The rehabilitation of NAIA 1 and the P1.9 billion retrofitting works at NAIA 3 being undertaken by Takenaka Corp. of Japan are expected to be completed in time for the APEC Summit to be hosted by the Philippines in 2015.

The NAIA1 is congested for operating beyond its design capacity of 4.5 million as it is now handling over eight million passengers. The retrofitting of NAIA3 would help accommodate the excess passengers from NAIA1as it is only operating at about half of its total capacity of 13 million passengers a year.