The Cebu City Council failed to stop the implementation of the P20 increase in the passenger service charge (PSC) for domestic flight passengers of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
MCIA Authority general manager Nigel Paul Villerete told the City Council yesterday that the airport board can no longer reverse its decision. “It’s almost impossible to defer its approval. It’s part of the contractual obligation of the Philippine government as stated in the PPP agreement that it signed with the winning bidder,” Villarete said.
Earlier this month, the MCIAA board has approved the staggered increase of the PSCs. Starting November 1, an additional P20 will be charged on top of the P200 terminal fee for domestic flights. By January 1, 2016, another additional P80 will also be charged.
But international flight passengers will have to shell out P750 from the current P500 terminal fee starting Nov. 1.
Meanwhile the City Council also requested the MCIAA to keep the bulk of the P14.4 billion premium paid by the GMR-Megawide consortium in Cebu and not turn it over to the national government.
“That has been our stand even before the bidding of the project to retain the P14.4 billion premium here. But we have to admit, decisions of that kind belongs to the national government,” he said.
He added that he doesn’t know if the national government has already decided on it.
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