Since Megawide Construction won the lowest bid for the Mactan Cebu
International Airport Project, I have kept silent on this issue so as
not to say that we as a columnist are blocking this bidding that is
supposed to help improve the Mactan International Airport of which I was
a Director for nearly 20-years. However too many pundits have already
written and said their piece on this issue.. So I must now say my ten
cents worth.
First of all, I fully concur to what my good friend Robert “Bobby”
Joseph said during the 888 News Forum in Cebu a couple of months back
that the P17.5 billion Mactan Cebu International Airport Project was
highly-questionable given the fact that this did not include a second
runway. If I can recall, it was as far back as 12 years ago that I
already insisted upon the MCIAA Board that Mactan International Airport
should construct a second runway if we are going to look towards Cebu’s
economic growth.
Alas my request fell on deaf ears. Clearly, officials of the
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) did not feel or
believe that a second runway was necessary at that time. This is the
kind of mentality that exists in the DOTC… where you only construct
something when it is already needed. This is why there is traffic
congestion not only in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) but
also in most of our metropolis. In my book DOTC is a total failure for
not being able to predict or at least anticipate the future of traffic
and prepare the roads needed by our motorists.
Just take a good look at the NAIA today. Aside from the original
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the DOTC constructed the
Centennial International Airport exclusively for the use of Philippine
Airlines (PAL). During Pres. Erap Estrada’s time, Fraport constructed
the NAIA III (which still has no CCTV) which was highly contested, but
in the end NAIA finally took control over this facility and look what
has happened since? Thanks to two runways that criss-crossed each other,
air traffic in NAIA is just as bad as the traffic in the South Luzon
Expressway (SLEX).
If I always used Hong Kong’s International Airport as our best
example it is due to the distinction of it’s being one of the world’s
busiest and best airports. Yet it was only in 1998 when operations of
the Hong Kong International Airport was moved to the islands of Chep Lap
Kok and Lam Chau, which were mountains that were leveled to ground.
My idea of following the Hong Kong example would therefore allow more
international flights to Cebu. Also we in Cebu do not want to follow
the wrong example of what is happening in NAIA. Alas, we are stuck with
the centrist mentality plaguing the DOTC since the Marcos dictatorship.
So now, the DOTC has bidded this P17.5 billion airport facility sans a
second runway. In short, P17.5 billion for an airport facility is just
too expensive and it just makes me wonder why this facility is costing
so much?
What I found deeply disturbing with the winning bidder Megawide is
that, its international partner GMR Infrastructure, Ltd from Bangalore,
India has only operated international airports in India and in Istanbul.
Yet none of these airports are known to worldwide travelers as a great
airport destination. For years under the leadership of then Mayor Tomas
Osmeña, Cebu has always looked up to Singapore as Cebu’s target… a city
second to none. This is why we were elated that there were other foreign
bidders that participated in this bidding.
Then came that news report from The STAR’s Business Section last
Monday which blared, “Disqualification of Megawide Group in Cebu Airport
bid sought.” That article should raise red flags on the Megawide-GMR
consortium. Firstly because we really don’t care about having a
construction company build this airport for us. What we really care
about is the group that can operate this airport facility just like most
modern airports are being run in Asia. Take a look at NAIA III, it is a
well-built airport, but it is faltering because of a lousy airport
management operating it.
That GMR’s many issues on their way of running airports is a key
factor that the DOTC ought to look into before awarding this group the
Mactan International Airport project. That the Male Ibrahim Nasir
International Airport in Maldives was cancelled by the Maldives
government last December 2012 should be a worrisome concern. I’m not
trying to push for any of the other bidders. But certainly the
Megawide/GMR consortium has highly-questionable issues.
`So too with this whole package for the Mactan International Airport
deal, which doesn’t include a second runway. So before things get worse,
it is time for us to jolt those DOTC officials into giving Cebu a
second runway before they award the winners of this bid. So please don’t
say that we didn’t warn you. We needed that second runway 10 years ago!
Email: vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com
source: Philippine Star Column of
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