MIAA pushes talks to rid airport fringes of squatters

MANILA, Philippines-Things are looking up for the Manila International Airport Authority’s (MIAA) plans to clear the fringes of its airports of squatter shanties.

The MIAA is set to meet with the Parañaque City government to discuss the relocation of squatters living near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Joseph Agustin, airport grounds operations and safety division chief, said he has talked to an engineer of the city government, a certain Engineer Oscar Fernandez, regarding the issue.

“We’re going to meet again for the revision of the memorandum of agreement between MIAA and Parañaque about the relocation of the informal settlers,” he said in a text message to the INQUIRER.

The MIAA earlier said it is toying with the idea of clearing at least the 4-kilometer radius near the NAIA and moving the indigent residents to a farther location.

The NAIA’s four terminals—the Manila Domestic Airport and NAIA Terminals 1 to 3—are located in the cities of Pasay and Parañaque. Their runways are also located in the cities of Pasay, Parañaque and Taguig.

Around 800 families live in shanties on the fringes of NAIA, particularly near the Parañaque City side of the airport.

Earlier, Agustin said the squatter shanties have become an “eyesore” especially when one flies into the NAIA and sees the shanties from the airplane, calling it “an international concern.”

Agustin told the INQUIRER that the meeting between the city government and the MIAA is set to be held anytime this week.

“I saw their plans and design, this is a project of the city government through Gawad Kalinga,” Agustin said, adding that the MIAA will renew its talks for the housing project tentatively located in Merville.

The relocation of the squatters to a safer community, according to Agustin, is a top concern of MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado.