SOME of the Philippines’ biggest business groups urged the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to immediately address the pest problem at the country’s main gateway.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which has been tagged as one of the world’s worst airports in previous years by several travel guides, racked up further criticism over the past week following a string of pest sightings — from bed bugs, to a rodent, and even a cockroach.
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Nina Mangio on Tuesday, March 5, said the MIAA should make sure such incidents do not happen again because it gives the country a bad rap.
“Kasi the impact to travelers and to our foreign guests is huge. This might affect our tourism industry. Siyempre matatakot,” said Mangio at the sidelines of a PCCI event.
The Buklod Bayani Coalition (BBC), which is a group of Philippine business leaders, also said this could make it more difficult to attract foreign investors to the Philippines.
“Nakakahiya kung ganun nga ang nangyayari sa’tin. The more things go right, the more we’re able to sell ourselves. The more bad news we have, siyempre, masama ‘yung environment natin,” said BBC secretary general and Rotary Club of Makati Central Foundation Inc. president Roberto Alvarez, Jr.
Mangio, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the San Miguel-led consortium that bagged the contract to rehabilitate NAIA will be able to improve the airport’s services and operations.
“They have the people, the resources, they have the technology to do it,” she said.
But while the privatization of the airport could result in better services, Alvarez said this could also come with more costs for passengers.
“They’re more conscious of the bottomline. They need to make money out of it so they will try to make it as efficient as possible. That’s the good side. The bad side is that there’s an expense that goes with it so maybe the fees have to be higher,” he said.
The SMC-SAP & Co. Consortium, which is composed of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp., beat out other qualified bidders for the upgrading of NAIA after it offered the highest percentage share of its future gross revenues to the government. (ABS-CBN News)
