Airport employees may lose jobs

CEBU, Philippines - Close to 600 airport employees will be affected as soon as the GMR-Megawide Consortium takes over the operations and management of the Mactan Cebu International Airport in October this year.

MCIA general manager Nigel Paul Villarete said he would have wanted to keep the 580 regular employees but there are sacrifi-ces to be made for the betterment of Cebu and the country.

Villarete, however, said that some of the employees maybe re-hired by the new management. He said the employees can apply with the GMR-Megawide but he cannot assure them that they will be accepted.

MCIA legal officer Glen Napuli said that the GMR-Megawide consortium has asked them to submit the list of airport employees within 60 days.

Napuli said once GMR-Megawide Consortium takes over the airport management, reorganization is expected.

Based on the concession agreement entered into by the Department of Transportation and Communication, GMR-Megawide Consortium and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority on April 22, the operations and management of the airport will be transferred to GMR-Megawide after 180 days from the signing of the agreement.

Villarete clarified that MCIAA will continue to exist and operate because the GMR-Megawide will only take charge of the airport terminal building. The runways will still be operated by the MCIAA.

Most of the employees affected are those assigned to airport departments, collectors at the airport terminals, and those detailed at the airport flight bridges.

Mary Ann Dimabayao, head of the MCIAA public affairs division, admitted that her office is one of those affected in the takeover. Aside from her, four other staffers also stand to lose their jobs.—/FPL (FREEMAN)