Comfort, gateways, and democracy

My wife and I traveled to Taiwan over the weekend. It was a short trip, and we expected to be back this Tuesday morning. We came to celebrate her birthday and to soak up a bit of the culture and everyday life in one of my favorite cities in the world, Taipei.

Last Saturday was my first time using Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) Terminal 2 for a midday flight. In my previous international departures from Cebu, I usually had early morning or late afternoon flights.

It was disappointing to find that the air-conditioning in the terminal, particularly in the pre-departure area at Gate 21, was insufficient, given the usual comforts one expects in an international airport terminal. I cannot say if this has been the situation for a long time, since this was my first midday flight from that terminal.

What I know is that day-to-day terminal facilities and maintenance are under the airport’s transport or aviation side and the airport operator. If I’m not mistaken, MCIA is operated under a long-term concession arrangement involving the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and the private concessionaire. So it is fair to say that the DOTr/MCIAA is the oversight transport agency that should coordinate with private terminal management to ensure standards are met toward a seamless and comfortable travel experience.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) as well can help in inter-agency coordination under its “tourist access” and “tourism infrastructure” coordination functions, though it is not directly responsible for solving the relative discomfort departing travelers felt at Gate 21. It is quite embarrassing for us locals to see departing tourists experience discomfort in an otherwise multi-awarded terminal. While the design of MCIA Terminal 2 is impressive, the experience inside falls short of basic standards for an international airport.

Let’s work to ensure that tourists are comfortable in the facilities they are expected to use in our country. Comfort is a major part of the travel experience. Our transport hubs should offer not only seamless service flows but also a physically comfortable environment.

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This was my fourth visit to Taipei, yet only last Sunday did I finally find the chance to go inside the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. We were able to watch the military honor guard drills in front of the Hall’s grand staircase. It was an amazing sight and experience, if not for my late-40s aching back after all the walking around the enormous complex. My body reminded me that I’m not as young as I used to be. If you have the opportunity to travel, do it sooner rather than later.

We spent half the day within the complex. I like the balance of how the place was designed as both a tourism site and a historical space. It isn’t overly commercialized, yet you still get the convenience of a well-run destination: clean, well-placed toilets, clear signage and easy design flow between galleries, discreetly-located cafés and snack stalls that don’t intrude on the solemnity of the hall, and adequate benches and resting spots.

The Democracy Gallery inside this hall originally dedicated to an authoritarian leader was the highlight of our visit. As a Filipino, I was proud to see the 1986 People Power Revolution framed inside the gallery as part of the “International Waves of Democracy”, placing our own historical moment on a global democratic timeline that resonates with Taiwan’s transformation from authoritarian rule to a pluralist democracy. A central theme is nonviolence as a model for democratic movements.