Passengers, airport workers bear brunt of poor equipment

International and domestic passengers and even Philippine Airlines (PAL) employees have been greatly inconvenienced by the poor air-conditioning and out-of -service escalators, elevators and electronic flights information display systems (FIDS) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal (NAIA 2) for more than a month now.

Due to a hefty unpaid bill of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) with the International Elevator Equipment Inc. (IEEI ), the local distributor and maintainer of the Mitsubishi elevators and escalators at the said terminal, both international and domestic passengers using NAIA-2 will have to keep using the stairs for what could be a long period of time.

This is due to a declared intention of MIAA to review the amount being demanded by the IEEI for the upkeep of the elevators and escalators for a period of three years.

The unserviceable escalators and elevators have taken their toll on passengers, especially the elderly and disabled, Philippine Airline (PAL) employees said.

In the case of the busted FIDS system, or the network of electronic monitors scattered throughout both the domestic and international areas at the terminal, PAL would have to make do by manually writing the information using markers and white boards and white sheets of paper for an uncertain period of time.

Due to the poor air-conditioning, PAL has provided at its own expense four portable "chillers" at the international passenger terminal.

Making matters worse for PAL, airline employees lamented that they are being blamed by passengers for the poor state of equipment and facilities at the terminal when the responsibility for making sure the equipment and facilities at the terminal was the obligation of MIAA.

NAIA-2 is where PAL international and domestic operations are exclusively housed.

Only one of the terminal’s six elevators are functioning. Two of the three escalators are not working.

Engr. Octavio "Bing" Lina, MIAA assistant general manager for operations, said the problem with the air-conditioning system, which he admitted was being operated by MIAA, is now being addressed with a planned purchase of additional units since those at the terminal are inadequate to properly cool the area.

In the case of the non-working FIDS system, he said MIAA has purchased busted spare parts so they can reactivate monitors.

However, MIAA would still have to resolve the issue over the repair of escalators and elevators due to a quarrel with IEEI, which reportedly wants to be paid first before continuing to provide maintenance services for MIAA.

MIAA General Manager Alfonso Cusi admitted they cannot find the contract IEEI signed with the previous MIAA management for the upkeep of the Mitsubishi escalators and elevators.

"Wala kaming makitang kontrata nila. Hinahanap pa namin yung kontrata. You have to understand that we want to first see the contract before we release any payment," Cusi told The STAR.

NAIA-2, which is shaped like an inverted V, has a southeast arm designated for domestic operations and a northwest arm for all international flights.

PAL has a total of 60 flights a day at the terminal, representing 60 percent of the total international and domestic flights operations at both Terminals 1 and 2.