MANILA, Philippines - Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas and MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado flew to Tokyo Sunday to meet officials of Takenaka Corp, the original general contractor of the NAIA Terminal 3, in hopes of sealing the deal to complete the 182,500- square-meter airport facility.
Roxas described the Tokyo negotiations as ‘make-or-break’ talks for completion of NAIA T3.
Construction of the NAIA T3 began in 1997 and it was originally planned to be inaugurated in 2002. However, a series of controversies hounded its completion and full operation.
Last year, the Philippine government, as ordered by the Pasay Regional Trial Court, put in funds in an escrow account as just compensation for the expropriation of NAIA Terminal 3. The escrow money was meant for the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc., (PIATCO), the main contractor of T3.
The Singapore-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) earlier ruled in November 2011 that the Philippine government has control of NAIA 3, clearing the way for the full operation of the facility.
The settlement of the PIATCO case paved the way for the Philippine government to start talks with the builder of the terminal, Takenaka of Japan, to complete T3.
Roxas said the goal of the DOTC contingent is to ink the Memorandum of Understanding with Takenaka so they can proceed with the next step of drafting the Construction Works Agreement (CWA) estimate of 23 Systems.
The delivery of 23 airport systems is critical to make T3 fully operational.
These systems include the Baggage Handling and Reconciliation System, Flight Information Display System, Building Management System, Local Area Network, Fire Alarm and Protection System, and Passenger Loading Bridges.
“The country has waited for nearly a decade to complete the T3. We are hoping that this stage of talks will finally pave the way to making T3 fully operational,” Roxas said.
Terminal 3 is used by CEB, AirPhil Express, Hong Kong Air and All Nippon Airways.
Cathay Pacific and Delta Air are expected to transfer to Terminal 3 by next year, according to the Manila International Airport Authority.
Cathay Pacific operates five daily flights while Delta Air operates two flights.
source: interaksyon.com
