GMCAC working on T2 flooding solution

CEBU, Philippines — GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) has assured the public that it is working on solutions that will ensure that flooding at Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport will not be repeated.

GMCAC President Manuel Louie Ferrer, in his letter to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade yesterday, detailed the solutions the firm is undertaking to address the problem.

"Once the gutter installation is rectified, the rainwater from the link bridge canopy will be connected back to the rain water drainage system. In effect, this will solve the exposure of link bridge and its drop-off zone to rain water," Ferrer noted.

To expedite, the GMCAC said it has initiated temporary measures which will resolve 80 percent of the problem within this week as the final rectification of gutter works will be completed on or before August 20, 2018 at the latest.

"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," read its statement.

In addition, it said that the company is now looking into possible materials that can be installed at the sides of the Link Bridge to prevent the entry of water, such as side grills or a special roll-down plastic, in case the problem persists.

The company is also studying the installation of additional drains in the Link Bridge area.

"GMCAC will continue to closely monitor the progress for the corrective work. It is committed to delivering swift, long-term solutions to this problem as part of its commitment to the Philippine Government and public in delivering world-class service," it added.

Last July 31, 2018, a heavy downpour and cross-winds brought an excess of rainwater into the Passenger Drop-Off Zone and the Link Bridge of Terminal 2 Departures Area. This created a slight overflow of water in the Link Bridge that was around heel-level and this situation was captured on social media.

The overflow of water lasted for less than one hour as GMCAC stationed clean-up teams to immediately clear the bridge. At the same time, GMCAC immediately undertook an examination of the drains from the Link Bridge.

It said that at the time of the incident, a rework of the gutter by the contractor was ongoing.

The GMCAC added that the contractor allegedly had incorrectly installed the gutter system that was designed for the Link Bridge, a reason why for the Link Bridge and Drop-off Zone being unduly exposed to rain.

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 operations.

Last Wednesday, GMCAC issued an apology to all passengers that had experienced the overflow of water at the T2 Link Bridge.

"We thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we go through the transition phase to fully deliver the level of service expected of a first-world airport," the statement further read. — GAN (FREEMAN)