Probe over ‘substandard’ NAIA bollards ordered

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to investigate the procurement process under the previous administration for the installation of bollards at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 departure area.

This comes after the deadly incident where a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) rammed into the airport’s entrance, killing two people, including a five-year-old child. The alleged improper installation of the bollards is being considered a contributing factor in the accident.

Bollards are vertical metal posts designed to prevent vehicles from colliding with pedestrians and structures.

During a press briefing at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro disclosed that the DoTr is also tasked with examining the specifications of the bollards installed at NAIA to determine if any irregularities occurred.

“An investigation is being conducted into how the procurement was conducted, including the specifications. This was ordered by the President, and Secretary Vince Dizon will immediately address this,” Castro said.

The government is also exploring the possibility of replacing the safety bollards at NAIA to prevent similar accidents. The DoTr had reinstalled the damaged bollard at the departure area on Monday.

Meantime, the mother of the four-year-old girl killed in the NAIA Terminal 1 mishap said she had a premonition about her daughter’s fate even before being informed of the tragedy.

Cynthia Masongsong, along with her niece and the mother of her husband Danmark Masongsong, accompanied him to the airport for his return flight to Europe, where he works as an assembly line operator in the Czech Republic.

According to a statement from the overseas Filipino worker’s sister, Cynthia was conscious during the ambulance ride and heard her husband screaming their daughter’s name. Cynthia, her niece, and her husband’s mother are currently recovering at St. Luke’s Medical Hospital in Taguig City.

Danmark Masongsong confirmed the news of their daughter’s death to his wife on Tuesday. Cynthia Masongsong is now requesting to be discharged from the hospital to be with her daughter, whose remains are at a funeral home in Lipa City, Batangas province.

On Monday, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac visited the wake of Masongsong’s daughter to convey President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s condolences and support. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is also providing assistance to the OFW’s family.

The DMW also assisted Masongsong in communicating his situation to his employer overseas through the Migrant Workers Office in Prague.

In other developments, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) announced Tuesday it is immediately enhancing curbside safety by inspecting all security bollards across NAIA terminals and upgrading the departure passenger drop-off areas at Terminals 1 and 2.

NNIC said the inspection will determine where existing bollards, installed in 2019, require reinforcements such as deeper foundations or structural upgrades, particularly in high foot-traffic zones.

Simultaneously, NNIC is reconfiguring the current diagonal passenger drop-off layout at the Terminals 1 and 2 departure areas to a safer, parallel unloading structure. The company noted that the diagonal layout predates its takeover of NAIA operations.

NNIC believes this change, along with the planned bollard einforcements, will provide an added layer of security for passengers, well-wishers, airport staff and other terminal users.