3 foreign firms conducting structural check on NAIA-3
July 7, 2006 | 12:00am
A total structural check of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal III (NAIA-3) is now underway with three foreign firms participating in the inspection.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager, Alfonso Cusi said they expect the structural audit by the three firms contracted by the government to complete their task in three months.
Leading the effort is British firm Ove Arup, an internationally respected building and infrastructure design and construction group.
The two other firms are American firm Gleads and British firm TCGI.
"They will primarily look into the safety and operability of the terminal," Cusi told The Star.
It can be recalled that a local group, the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP), had submitted to MIAA early last week the findings of their investigation into the collapse of a 100-square meter portion of the NAIA-3 ceiling last March 27.
ASEP, in its report, identified poor workmanship as the main cause of the collapse.
In coming out with the report, ASEP also called for a wider inspection of the facility in view of the irregularities they found in the construction of the terminal’s ceiling.
Former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman and now Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. (AEDC) lead counsel Perfecto Yasay, for his part, called on government to wait for the completion of the structural inspection of NAIA Terminal III before expropriating the facility.
"Why are they rushing into expropriating Terminal III? Why the rush in paying P3 billion in view of the serious questions on the structural integrity and safety of the terminal," Yasay asked.
He said the government should at least wait for the findings of the structural inspection of before talking again about expropriation, which he stressed was the wrong step to take for government to take control of the facility.
Malacañang is reportedly holding negotiations with filing cases before local and international courts.
Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco), the consortium that financed the building of the Terminal 3 for the expropriation of the facility to bring closure to the issue, take control of the terminal and finally open it to full commercial operations by next year.
Japanese firm Takenaka Corp. was the lead contractor hired by Piatco to build the terminal last 1998.
Piatco was the consortium that submitted a winning counter-bid to build the NAIA-3 for the government against the unsolicited proposal of AEDC, the corporation then formed by five Filipino-Chinese business tycoons Lucio Tan, John Gokongwei, Jr., Alfonso Yuchengco, Jr., George S.K. Ty and Andrew Gotianun, to take up the challenge of then President Fidel Ramos to pool their resources for the construction of a much-needed modern and world-class international passenger terminal in 1995.
The AEDC, now owned wholly by Tan, claims to have rightful claim over the terminal project on the strength of their being the original project proponent.
The Supreme Court had nullified the build-operate-transfer contract between Piatco and the government due to onerous amendments to the original contract in December 2004.
On the strength of the SC ruling, the government subsequently took over the terminal and started expropriation proceedings that in turn led to Piatco and its German investor, Fraport AG, to file cases before local and international courts.
Last December, the High Court issued a ruling ordering the government to pay Piatco just compensation if it wanted to take over Terminal III.
MIAA was about to hold a soft opening of NAIA-3 last March 31 when the collapse of a portion of the ceiling took place four days before the date, forcing Cusi to call off the plan.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager, Alfonso Cusi said they expect the structural audit by the three firms contracted by the government to complete their task in three months.
Leading the effort is British firm Ove Arup, an internationally respected building and infrastructure design and construction group.
The two other firms are American firm Gleads and British firm TCGI.
"They will primarily look into the safety and operability of the terminal," Cusi told The Star.
It can be recalled that a local group, the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP), had submitted to MIAA early last week the findings of their investigation into the collapse of a 100-square meter portion of the NAIA-3 ceiling last March 27.
ASEP, in its report, identified poor workmanship as the main cause of the collapse.
In coming out with the report, ASEP also called for a wider inspection of the facility in view of the irregularities they found in the construction of the terminal’s ceiling.
Former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman and now Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. (AEDC) lead counsel Perfecto Yasay, for his part, called on government to wait for the completion of the structural inspection of NAIA Terminal III before expropriating the facility.
"Why are they rushing into expropriating Terminal III? Why the rush in paying P3 billion in view of the serious questions on the structural integrity and safety of the terminal," Yasay asked.
He said the government should at least wait for the findings of the structural inspection of before talking again about expropriation, which he stressed was the wrong step to take for government to take control of the facility.
Malacañang is reportedly holding negotiations with filing cases before local and international courts.
Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco), the consortium that financed the building of the Terminal 3 for the expropriation of the facility to bring closure to the issue, take control of the terminal and finally open it to full commercial operations by next year.
Japanese firm Takenaka Corp. was the lead contractor hired by Piatco to build the terminal last 1998.
Piatco was the consortium that submitted a winning counter-bid to build the NAIA-3 for the government against the unsolicited proposal of AEDC, the corporation then formed by five Filipino-Chinese business tycoons Lucio Tan, John Gokongwei, Jr., Alfonso Yuchengco, Jr., George S.K. Ty and Andrew Gotianun, to take up the challenge of then President Fidel Ramos to pool their resources for the construction of a much-needed modern and world-class international passenger terminal in 1995.
The AEDC, now owned wholly by Tan, claims to have rightful claim over the terminal project on the strength of their being the original project proponent.
The Supreme Court had nullified the build-operate-transfer contract between Piatco and the government due to onerous amendments to the original contract in December 2004.
On the strength of the SC ruling, the government subsequently took over the terminal and started expropriation proceedings that in turn led to Piatco and its German investor, Fraport AG, to file cases before local and international courts.
Last December, the High Court issued a ruling ordering the government to pay Piatco just compensation if it wanted to take over Terminal III.
MIAA was about to hold a soft opening of NAIA-3 last March 31 when the collapse of a portion of the ceiling took place four days before the date, forcing Cusi to call off the plan.
BrandSpace Articles
<
>
- Latest
- Trending
Trending
Latest
