THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) plans to demolish the iconic Philippine Village Hotel (PVH) in Nayong Pilipino to give way for expansion projects for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The PVH sits close to the NAIA Terminal 2 and would have to be demolished in line with the rehabilitation and improvement of the airport.
MIAA general manager Eric Jose Ines said they are just waiting for the approval of the Pasay City government to begin demolition works on the abandoned structure, being eyed as an expansion of the passenger terminal.
The government has signed a contract with San Miguel Corp. (SMC) for the improvement of NAIA.
The SMC was awarded the P171-billion contract to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain the NAIA, considered the country’s premier gateway which has been criticized for issues like pests infestation, missing bags, thefts, extortion, brownouts, and other technical glitches.
According to SMC president Ramon Ang, the new passenger terminal building can handle 35 million passengers annually with 50 concourse boarding bridges as part of their commitment to increase the capacity of the airport.
The rehabilitation agreement was described by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as badly needed given the “poor state” of the country’s main international airport.
“The reputation of this airport has been shredded, and let us be frank about it, not by bad press, but by its actual poor state,” the President said. “So, it’s really important that we fix this now,” he added.
At present, the NAIA operates beyond its capacity of 35 million passengers, thereby clogging air traffic and causing frequent flight delays.
“My promise to you is that it [new passenger terminal building] will all be completed within three years. It’s going to be quick,” Ang said.
Further improvements in facilities, infrastructure, equipment, runways, and terminals are also expected to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and flights in the coming years, eventually handling up to 62 million passengers per year.
The MIAA has implemented measures to better handle the spike in flight movements and passenger volumes.
The four NAIA terminals’ capacity was optimized through initiatives like the Schedule and Terminal Rationalization Assignment (STAR) program, which involved terminal reassignments for selected airlines.