Several advocacy groups have expressed support for the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) plan to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and to develop other airports in Sangley Point, Cavite; and in Bulakan, Bulacan.
Think tank Stratbase ADR Institute and citizen advocacy groups CitizenWatch Philippines and Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3) also expressed support for the DOTr’s decision to undertake public bidding scheme under the amended Build-Operate-Transfer Law.
The groups said the upgrade and expansion of airports have been long overdue, and that subjecting the project under a solicited bidding process is consistent with the President’s good governance directive.
Professor Victor Andres Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute, said the long-term strategy for the airport will be a great legacy for the administration.
“Longstanding problems have hounded our primary gateway to the world, much to the disenfranchisement of local and foreign travelers alike. With the approval of the solicited proposal to rehabilitate the NAIA, finally, the work can begin and the country’s issues of low traffic capacity and inadequate facilities, among others, can be addressed,” he said.
Manhit said the qualities of a solicited proposal could be a key factor in the project’s success. “The government’s decision to go for the solicited bid is consistent with its priority of effecting good governance through transparency and equal opportunity,” he said in the statement.
“Qualified bidders are able to present their proposals competitively, where the bid most advantageous to the government, addressing the needs it itself specified, eventually wins.”
Former Rep. Christopher Belmonte, co-convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, said the current state of the airport affects citizens in several ways: “…directly, when we and our loved ones travel and are hampered by various choke points and burdened by delays, and indirectly, because of the numerous economic opportunities missed when investors get discouraged and bring their business somewhere else.”
“Our facilities at present are only able to serve 35 million passengers a year; we need to expand this capacity and make it accommodate at least 62 million passengers in the immediate future if we are to compete in the global economy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Patrick Climaco, Secretary-general of BK3 echoed similar sentiments of the two other organizations, saying that the potential to monetize the airport will yield funds that could be used for other projects or provide and improve basic social services.
Belmonte said that the high-stakes airport project “will boost business and tourism, encourage investments, ultimately translate into jobs, sustainable income, and a better quality of life for citizens. This is an urgent infrastructure requirement that needs to be at the top of the government’s priority.”
In their separate statements, the three groups also expressed concern on the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss Manila International Airport Authority chief Cesar Chiong based on an anonymous complaint for grave abuse of discretion and misconduct, saying that anybody who is telling the truth should not be afraid to reveal their identity.