Poe: Public-private partnership vital in airport modernization

SENATOR Grace Poe on Sunday said the partnership between the government and private sectors is vital in the effective modernization of the country’s aging airports.

The senator, who chairs the Senate public services committee, cited the newly built Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) as an example. She says it is the country’s “most modern airport.”

“The new Cebu airport terminal was a success because of the handiwork of crucial government and private sector partnerships,” said Poe, who visited the terminal on Saturday.

She noted that the airport was built under the Public-Private Partnership program.

Poe added that the MCIA, which began its commercial operations on July 30, 2018, should now become the “standard” for airports.

“The overall look, design and facilities of this airport are not only impressive but also bring pride to the nation,” she said referring to the glass ceilings, curved roofs, floor-to-ceiling glass panels, and the extensive use of wood in the airport.

“This airport should be our standard for airports of today. Hindi lang maganda ang disenyo at pasilidad, may mabilis ding Wi-Fi (It’s not just that the design is good and the facilities are great, the Wi-Fi is also fast),” she added.

Poe said the P17.5-billion passenger terminal built by the Philippine-Indian consortium GMR-Megawide “never fails to impress” her because of its “modern architectural design and efficient facilities.”

The “resort-like” airport, which can cater to around 13 million passengers, was conceptualized by Hong Kong-based Integrated Design Associates with the help of world-renowned Cebuano industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue and local designers Budji Layug and Royal Pineda.