President Marcos tells agencies to improve airport facilities

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has ordered transportation agencies to improve the country’s airport facilities to ensure the convenience of passengers and to attract more tourists.

Efforts to enhance the facilities and services of the Philippines’ international airports were discussed during a special Cabinet meeting held last Tuesday in Malacañang.

“We have directed our transportation agencies to prioritize the enhancement of our airport facilities,” the President said in a Facebook post.

“Our goals are to make the traveler experience more efficient and comfortable, to boost tourism and to drive significant economic growth for the country,” he added.

During his first State of the Nation Address in 2022, Marcos vowed to upgrade airports and to create more international airports to decongest the country’s gateway in Manila. He cited the need to make traveling more convenient to promote the Philippines’ “undiscovered” tourist spots.

In March, the Department of Transportation, Manila International Airport Authority and San Miguel Corp. signed the concession deal for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Public-Private Partnership Project, which marks the beginning of the modernization of the Philippines’ main gateway.

The agreement covers all NAIA facilities like runways and terminals and seeks to enhance the airport’s services.
The SMC-SAP & Company Consortium, composed of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. and Incheon International Airport Corp., won the bidding for the P170.6-billion project to rehabilitate the airport.
During the signing of the agreement, Marcos urged San Miguel Corp. and its consortium to fulfill their commitments, which he described as “an investment in our future.”

“Let us be reminded that the bottom line of the Manila International Airport’s resurgence is not what it will bring to the coffers of our government but the comfort it will bring to its passengers,” the President said.

“More damaging than the occasional unflattering headlines are the inconveniences that many of its passengers undergo daily. It also affects our economy greatly,” he added.

The President noted that the postponed improvement of the airport has resulted in delayed and reduced number of flights and fewer visitor arrivals.

In a recent interview, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said improvements at the NAIA may be seen by early next year.

Marcos also highlighted various local airport projects during the distribution of assistance to provinces affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

Last Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting was attended by secretaries and representatives from the transportation, finance, budget, energy, human settlements, public works and trade departments, the National Economic and Development Authority, Presidential Management Staff and Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs.