In the middle of the holidays, specifically the period between Christmas and New Year, the traffic in the metro subsides and moves to the ports — bus ports or terminals, seaports, and airports. We see long lines of urban dwellers either leaving to see their families in the provinces or leaving with their families for a quick respite abroad. For those flying to their destinations, there is only one airport of choice, with three terminals serving international travelers, an airport long lagging behind the rest of the world, plagued by controversies left and right.
Coincidentally, right in the middle of the holidays was the deadline for the submission of bids for the NAIA rehabilitation, which has long been beset by delays for various reasons. Now, it is seemingly ready to take off again, at least until a winning bidder is declared convincingly, without threat of disqualification or lawsuit.
The P170.6-billion project initially attracted eight groups who purchased bid documents, but in the end, only four submitted bids on 27 December. They included companies with previous experience in operating Philippine airports, those currently building airports, and those with no experience at all but with financial backing and capacity.
Investing in NAIA could be quite speculative, as there is no clarity about what will happen to NAIA after SMC's Bulacan airport — or the New Manila International Airport — opens in 2027. In the previous administration, there was talk of closing NAIA once the Bulacan airport commenced operations to give way to a new business district accessible via an elevated expressway. If at all, this bidding for rehabilitation should confirm that NAIA shall continue to operate but will be downscaled to handling only domestic flights, like how it is done in major cities such as Tokyo, New York, and London.
This writer was in Hong Kong during the holidays, and the disparity is quite pronounced between the airports. Notably, Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok island opened in 1998, over 25 years ago, for the same reasons we are experiencing now. HKIAC changed the landscape of tourism and transportation in Hong Kong, and it continues to do so with a reported 80 percent capacity compared to pre-pandemic levels.
When HKIAC opened in 1998, the Hong Kong government closed the old airport in the Kowloon area, the Kai Tak International Airport. I have vague memories of landing at that airport, and they were a bit frightening since you felt as if the plane would hit one of the surrounding buildings. Now, Kai Tak is undergoing rehabilitation with the opening of a Kai Tak Runway Skypark and the construction of more buildings and even a reclamation site.
Our Cathay Pacific flight back to Manila wasn't until 10 p.m., so we decided to hang out at HKIAC for some window shopping. Clearly, the Singapore Changi Airport is nicer and has more shops, but HKIAC had a sales promo that could not be beaten. If you spent HK$15,000 or around P105,000, you would get a free roundtrip ticket to Japan. Had we known this earlier, we would have saved our money to shop more at HKIAC.
Traveling makes us more aware of how far the Philippines has to catch up with our neighbors. Rather than lose hope, it must inspire us to do better so we can uplift the Philippines soon. For now, we are hopeful for the NAIA rehabilitation — may the worthiest bidder qualify and win (without fear of being sued).
For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com.