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PRESIDENT Arroyo has created the Presidential Task Force
on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia)
Terminal 3 (Task Force Terminal 3), signaling a
determination to open the long-awaited facility, amid
conflicting progress reports by government and airline
officials.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in his weekly
news briefing that Task Force Terminal 3 represents a
“light” at the end of the tunnel because the body, as
provided by Executive Order 732 dated June 9, 2008, is
“mandated to ensure the immediate opening and operation
of Terminal 3.”
“The
fact that there’s now a task force created means that
there is light on the other side of the tunnel; that
Terminal 3 is about to be opened, that’s why the
President created a task force,” said Ermita, who led
the policy group created by the President resolve Naia 3
issues on expropriation, ownership and operation.
He said
the head of the task force will be announced “soon
enough,” but did not identify the candidates.
The Naia
3 opens next month for domestic flights and three
air-services companies—PAL Express, Cebu Pacific and Air
Philippines—have committed to use it at that time. And,
toward the year-end, officials see it hosting
international flights, as well. Some airline officials,
however, are disputing such categorical assurances.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza Wednesday said,
“We will use Naia 3 for domestic flights on a dry-run
basis. We will see if all the computers and systems are
working. In fact, Cebu Pacific has informed us and has
started to transfer there already. PAL Express,
likewise, confirmed, and Air Philippines, as well. They
will set up their phone lines, ticketing booths and
baggage counters there.”
But Cebu
Pacific vice president for marketing and product Candice
Iyog said in a text message they have yet to transfer
their domestic operations there. “As of the moment
nothing is formally confirmed and we have not made any
moves to transfer.”
Mendoza
declined to give the exact date of the opening but said
the terminal will be inspected before its commercial
opening.
The
existing domestic airport, said Mendoza, will be
occupied by other carriers after its rehabilitation. “We
are renovating the old domestic airport and even
Terminal 1. The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa)
reported to us that we are averaging 23 million domestic
and international passengers a year but the actual
capacity of the airports is only 18 million.”
From
latest reports available, the Naia handled nearly 10
million international passengers in 2006 and 2.8 million
in the first quarter of 2007, a 12-percent increase over
the same period in 2006.
Earlier,
Miaa general manager Alfonso Cusi said of Terminal 3,
“We shall pursue a deliberate strategy of partial or
phased opening, starting with domestic flight operations
and subsequently shifting to international flight
operations on a selective basis.”
Mendoza
had said the upgrade to international servicing could be
done in less than a year after its run as a domestic
terminal. “I think it’s just easy to open [for
international airlines] after we have made the dry run.”
There
were attempts to open the terminal in 2007 but these
were aborted after a ceiling collapsed and Miaa
engineers found structural problems.
The
Palace task force head is tasked, meanwhile, to exercise
control and supervision over the opening of Naia 3, act
directly on any matter involving the opening of the
international airport and provide policy directions and
executive guidance on all matters related to the Naia 3
opening.
The head
of the task force, “subject to law,” is authorized to
“review and approve, reverse or modify acts and
decisions of the governing board, officials or units
over matters relating to the opening of Naia 3” and will
“formulate and adopt the necessary and most appropriate
course of action to ensure that Naia 3 is opened and
operated immediately, based on the decisions of the
Supreme Court and applicable laws.”
The task
force will be assisted by a general counsel, secretariat
and technical staff, and may hire confidential staff and
tap the existing staff complement of any government
department, office, agency or bureau.
The Miaa
will provide administrative support and technical
assistance to the task force.
Under EO
732, the budget secretary is to release an “initial
budget” from the Office of the President “in the amount
he deems appropriate to enable the task force to
discharge its functions.”
The Miaa
had earlier announced a trial run of the Naia 3 in July,
but will only initially involve domestic carriers.
The
facility was originally scheduled to have a soft opening
in 2006, then later in 2007, but plans were scrapped
each time because of structural defects. (L. Lectura, M.
Gonzalez, VG Cabuag) |
