Things are looking up for the Philippine transportation sector, as reflected in the third State of Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday, July 22, 2024. For instance, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is set to undergo a major revitalization.
Along with other government departments, and the entire country, for that matter — the Department of Transportation (DOTr) tuned it to the latest SONA. President Marcos stated that NAIA will soon be joining the ranks of “world-class international airports,” thanks to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme that will help fund the gateway’s improvement and modernization.
From Worst Airport to World-Class Gateway
Back in 2016, due to rampant “laglag bala” and “bukas bagahe” incidents, NAIA was tagged as one of the world’s worst airports. The government took this criticism constructively and sought to improve the country’s main gateway. In 2018, NAIA ranked 10th most improved airport worldwide, and rehabilitation is still ongoing.
“Once considered among the worst and most stressful airports in the world, it will soon be a world-class international airport that we can be proud of,” declared President Marcos during his latest SONA, a DOTR press release reported.
The President added that as the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. Takes over the operations and maintenance of the airport, people can expect to see immediate improvements.
“Soon, it will be capable of accommodating 48 flights per hour, servicing our ever-increasing local and international flight routes, and catering to more than 62 million passengers per year,” President Marcos said. “The NAIA PPP will go down in our history not only as among the largest and fastest approved PPP, but one that has set the bar in terms of openness, transparency, and competitiveness of the process.”
More Than 70 Airport, Seaport Projects Completed
During his speech, the President also mentioned that more than 70 airport and seaport projects have been completed nationwide; around 350 more are set to be completed within the next few years.
“More than 70 airport and seaport development projects across the country have been completed,” President Marcos stated. “Another 350 ongoing projects are set to be completed by 2028.”
Among the completed airport projects he mentioned were the expansion of the Passenger Terminal Buildings (PTBs) at Bicol International Airport and General Santos Airport.
“[General Santos Airport and the Bicol International Airport] have been expanded by 300% and 500%, now catering to 2,000 and 1,600 passengers, respectively,” the President reported.
As for the maritime sector, he stated that after its inauguration, the Passenger Terminal Building at Batangas Port is now able to service 8,000 passengers at any given time.
“Patuloy ang pagpapaganda ng ating mga paliparan at mga daungan, para sa ikakaginhawa ng ating mga manlalakbay (We continue to improve our airports and seaports, for the comfort of our travelers),” President Marcos said.
Final Thoughts
As the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) continues to undergo modernization and enhancement, we certainly look forward to the day that it becomes a “world-class” gateway. In addition, the numerous airport and seaport projects would definitely boost our local and international tourism industries.
Other than transport projects, the government continues to pursue initiatives that “beautify” public spaces. Among these is the “Green Green Green” Program of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Budget Management (DBM).