This article was first published on DBM by piudbm
Supporting the Aquino administration’s goal of boosting public infrastructure and the country’s fast-growing tourism industry, the Department of Budget and Management released P1.89 billion to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the completion and rehabilitation of Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA 3).
The Philippine government earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Takenaka Corporation (Takenaka) to implement the completion, renovation, and upgrade of the 182,500-square meter terminal for USD45 million. Part of the MOU is the “Civil Works Agreement (CWA) Estimate of 23 Systems,” which will include the development of a Flight Information Display System, Baggage Handling and Reconciliation System, Fire Alarm and Protection System, and Passenger Loading Bridges, among others.
“Once the development of NAIA 3 is completed, some of the operations of NAIA 1 will be transferred to Terminal 3, effectively decongesting Terminal 1 and ensuring operational efficiency in both terminals. This is particularly crucial, given the Administration’s energetic drive for better public infrastructure and other services that support our growing tourism industry,” Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.
Upon completion of the project, NAIA 3 will have the capacity to serve 6,000 passengers per hour, or 33,000 passengers daily during peak season, or 6,000. It will also have 34 air bridges and 20 contact gates, allowing the terminal to accommodate 28 planes simultaneously.
“The Department of Tourism’s successful campaign—along with cheaper airfare and regular airline promos—helped increase the popularity of air travel in the country. Last year alone, the number of tourists rose from 3.9 million in 2011 to 4.2 million in 2012. We’re anticipating a bigger volume of air traffic this year, especially since we’re shooting for 5.5 million foreign tourist arrivals this year,” Abad said.
