DOTC wants ex-subcontractor to complete NAIA-3

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said yesterday it is negotiating with Japanese firm Takenaka Corp. to complete a structurally deficient portion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus said the move would speed up operations at the airport, especially for local air carriers.

Takenaka was the primary subcontractor of the NAIA-3 project build-operate-transfer contractor Philippine International Air Terminals Co.

In 2007, a portion of the ceiling of the terminal collapsed, stopping efforts of the Manila International Airport Authority sto hold a soft opening of the NAIA-3 that year. The MIAA, under then general manager Alfonso Cusi, terminated Takenaka’s contract in early 2008 after its civil works plan was found to be below standard.

“The (MIAA) board decided to firmly cut off Takenaka...” (In Takenaka’s final proposal,) they were not able to meet the standards required for the remediation works on (the facility’s) safety,” Cusi earlier said.

The DOTC’s announcement to have Takenaka back has raised eyebrows in the MIAA, with officials seeing it as an ill-advised move considering their previous experience with the Japanese firm.

De Jesus said the DOTC believes Takenaka’s previous civil works and sub-contract with the MIAA is still “live” and that the Japanese firm’s return to finish the terminal is expected.

“We’re going to revive that and negotiate under that contract,” De Jesus said.

He said having Takenaka return to finish NAIA-3 would speed things up at the terminal, currently serving Filipino budget airlines Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, and Air Philippines.

MIAA sources, however, said Cusi’s and the previous MIAA officials’ decision to boot out Takenaka was justified considering its track record in constructing the terminal.