Gov’t now says Terminal 3 ready to open late in year

05/09/2008

The government is again making a vow to finally operate the controversial Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) before the end of the year.

“If I were to go by the assessment of the Department of Transportation and Communi-cations, they need about six months at the least to do all the remaining works in NAIA-3,” Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila told reporters yesterday.

Favila said the government has the money to bankroll the completion of the remaining works that need to be done for the terminal to become operational.

“We already engaged a local contractor to do the remedial work. What is final here is (Japanese contractor) Takenaka is already out of the deal,” Favila said.

Takenaka Corp. was the original contractor which was dropped from the project due to concerns on the structural safety of the facility after the collapse of a wall before the soft opening of the terminal last year.

The damaged part of the concrete walls was found to be at high safety risk and is not expected to hold out in a major earthquake.

Repairs of the cracks, according to airport officials, could take about six months to finish.

“Weather permitting, I hope it will be opened soon, whether soft or hard opening. There are hairline cracks and concerns on the structural safety. The President has said that safety will never be compromised,” Favila added.

“All the road networks outside of NAIA-3 are being rushed and if that is any indication at all, the airport will be opened soon,” Favila added.

NAIA terminal 3 become controversial when the Arroyo government declared as null and void the contract of Piatco, a consortium led by Germany’s Fraport AG, mainly because it was signed during the leadership of former President Estrada.

The project called for the construction of a 28-gate airport terminal with 140 check-in counters, 118 immigration counters, nine moving walk-ways and a shopping complex. Ayen Infante

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