AN airline passenger was hurt after the ceiling of a cafe at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 collapsed Thursday morning.
Airport authorities said US-bound passenger Day Adam Warner, 30, was having breakfast with his wife and child at the Sweet Ideas Cafe when the 3×7-meter ceiling board fell on him, causing cuts in his right upper arm. Warner’s wife and son were unharmed.
Manila International Airport Authority spokesperson David de Castro said Sweet Ideas restaurant was shut down after the incident, pending an investigation on the matter.
“No one was severely injured. One passenger was slightly scratched from the incident. The said passenger was given appropriate medical attention,” De Castro said in a statement, adding that the materials used for the construction of that particular ceiling was weak.
“Note that construction of the interiors of commercial spaces at the terminals is shouldered by the concessionaires themselves,” he said. “Penalties will be imposed on the concessionaire should its construction plan be found to be substandard.”
It was not the first time such an incident happened at the Naia Terminal 3 with the last one happening in September 2008 when a large portion of the terminal ceiling collapsed. No one was hurt.
On March 27, 2006, another 100-square-meter portion of the airport’s ceiling also collapsed, prolonging the terminal’s delayed and much publicized opening.
The 2006 incident led to an extensive inspection by foreign consultants to determine the structural integrity of the $500-million terminal. Terminal 3 began operations July 22, 2006.
The latest incident led Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to lament the state of airports in the country, including the Naia, and said it is holding back the country’s tourism and air travel industry.
“I fear we might return the list due to the air traffic, flight delays, passenger delays and overbookings gone wrong. We can also add the shameful [bullet-planting] syndicate,” Marcos said.
Marcos said he knows first-hand how tourism can create jobs and income opportunities for the people having led the development of Ilocos Norte into a premier tourist destination during his three-term as governor of the province.
According to the Department of Tourism, the industry revenues reached $5 billion in 2015 with over 5 million foreign tourists visiting the Philippines last year from a mere 3.14 million in 2008.
As this developed, he called on the country’s independent travel agencies to use their collective influence to cure the ills of Philippine air transport to push further the gains in the tourism industry.
As an indispensable and influential group in the travel and tourism industry, Marcos said NAITAS has a crucial role to play in the improvement not only of Philippine air transportation and but the tourism industry as well.
“Safety and convenience of your customers should always be your number one priority. In turn, their satisfaction can create a positive feedback loop that will augur well for our tourism industry,” Marcos remarked.
He said the group should remain united and strive for a conscious and collective effort to improve the overall business environment in the Philippine travel industry for better opportunities and better service to the consumers under the ideals of fair competition and ethical practices.
Likewise, he advised NAITAS to leave behind any controversies in the past that may have caused problems within the organization.
With the group’s help, the Senator said he looks forward to safer flights that are on time but also airport procedures done not only systematically but also respecting the rights of the public.
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