DOTC to spend P1 billion for NAIA 3 completion

MANILA, Philippines - The government will limit the budget for the construction of the unfinished portion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 to around P1 billion, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas said yesterday.

Roxas told fund managers during the Deutsche-REGIS Partners Investors’ conference held recently in Makati City that the DOTC will exercise “extraordinary diligence’’ in implementing all its planned infrastructure projects, including the rehabilitation of NAIA Terminal 3.

He said the DOTC will enter into an agreement with Takenaka Corp., the Japanese sub-contractor that built the terminal under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, for repair works if the price is reasonable.

The Pasay City Regional Trial Court had earlier ruled in favor of the government, allowing it to take full control of the uncompleted NAIA 3 project.

With the court’s decision, Roxas said the government can now pursue talks with Takenaka for the completion of the terminal.

Takenaka was a sub-contractor of the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc, builder of the NAIA Terminal 3.

“PIATCO is the one with the concession agreement with the government to build the Terminal 3. Problem is, because of a dummy situation, PIATCO never had the money. The Supreme Court said there is no validity to the contract,” Roxas said.

Meanwhile, the renovation of the NAIA Terminal 1 will start in January next year.

Terminal 1, which was designed to accommodate 4.5 million passengers a year, served some 7.3 million passengers last year.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado said that the Leandro V. Locsin and Associates, the original architect of NAIA 1, is helping in the rehabilitation works.

The Budji Layug, Royal Pineda and Kenneth Cobonpue triumvirate is also providing expertise free of charge to give NAIA 1 a major facelift.

The NAIA was recently voted as the “World’s Worst Airport to Sleep In” by the “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” a website of low-budget travelers who used the airport as overnight motels to save on money.

At least P450 million will be spent for the interior renovation while the parking development will cost around P500 million. – With Rudy Santos