Contractor blamed for Mactan airport flooding

MANILA, Philippines — GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) has blamed incorrect installation by its contractor for the flooding incident at the new Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) last Tuesday.

GMCAC said a downpour and crosswinds brought an excess of rainwater into the passenger drop-off zone and the link bridge of the MCIA Terminal 2 Departures Area, creating an overflow of water that was around heel-level.

The overflow of water lasted for less than one hour.

“At the time of the incident, a rework of the gutter by the contractor was ongoing. The contractor had incorrectly installed the gutter system that was designed for the link bridge. This is the reason for the link bridge and drop-off zone being unduly exposed to rain,” GMCAC said in a statement yesterday.

“Unfortunately, GMCAC only noticed in mid-July that the installed gutters did not meet the actual design. The company immediately began corrective work; however, the continuous heavy rains in Cebu have been severely affecting construction,” it added.

GMCAC said it is working on solutions that would ensure that the incident would not be repeated.

It said once the gutter installation is corrected, the rainwater from the link bridge canopy would be connected back to the rainwater drainage system.

Likewise, GMCAC said it has initiated temporary measures, which will resolve 80 percent of the problem within the week with the final rectification of gutter works set to be completed on or before Aug. 20.

“GMCAC is committed to a swift resolution. These are quicker than usual timelines considering the heavy rains that Cebu has been experiencing for the past few days,” the firm said.