Solons slam MIAA for planned Naia-3 electric audit sans as-built plan

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES)

MANILA, Philippines — Several lawmakers on Thursday chided the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)  for pushing for an electric audit of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 even if they do not have its as-built plan.

Bulacan 6th District Rep. Salvador Pleyto, during the hearing of the House committee on transportation on recent Naia power outages, asked MIAA if it is true that they have no copy of the as-built plan.

According to a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) department order in 2016, as-built plans are a set of illustrations meant to accurately depict each part of a structure and a facility as how they were built. 

MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co admitted that the as-built plan is currently not with them.

“Naia 3 is, I believe, currently conducting a full electrical audit.  Correct me if I’m wrong: as far as I know, you still do not have a copy of the as-built plan, is that correct?” Pleyto asked.

“Yes your Honor, there are some documents that have not yet (been) delivered or transferred to MIAA as far as the transfer of the contractors of the original proponents of Naia Terminal 3 during its construction phase,” Co replied.

Pleyto — a former DPWH official — said that they always kept as-built plans of structures because it would be used as a basis for auditing in case of damage or issues.  Hence, the lawmaker said it would be impossible to do an assessment without having these plans.

“If you don’t have that, how are you going to undertake the electrical audit which includes the electrical system plan?  You know I was in government for 41 years, if a bridge collapsed or a slab was damaged, when we conduct our audit, we need the as-built plan.  What happened?” he asked again.

“If the consortium did not give the as-built plan — I don’t know who was the consortium in-charge that time — you should have your own as-built plan, because some of the government agencies are part of the construction.  You supervised that, so if you do not have the as-built plan from the constructor, you should come up with your own,” he added.

Committee chairman and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop and Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said essential plans should have been obtained from Takenaka Corporation, a Japanese construction firm which was part of the consortium that built Naia Terminal 3.

“If you buy a home from a buy-and-sell contractor, would you not look for the drainage, for the plan?  You’d look for that right?” Marcoleta said.

“We note the importance of as-built plans especially with the critical infrastructure engineering projects.  While we will also try to discuss with Takenaka to get the as-built plans, independently po we take your recommendation that we will be commissioning an entity that will do the as-built plan, so that we will have the updated as-built plan kasi a lot of things have changed na rin po,” Co said.

“There were efforts in the past to try to get it from the contractor, Takenaka, but it was not successful until today, in terms of getting the as-built plans of Naia Terminal 3,” Co added.

Transportation Undersecretary Roberto Lim, who was also present in the hearing, interjected that they have contacted the Japanese Embassy to ask for help in obtaining the as-built plans.

Naia Terminal 3’s operations were affected for eight hours after a fault current was discovered, affecting at least 9,391 passengers from 1:05 a.m. to 8:46 a.m. of May 1.

Following an assessment by the Manila Electrical Company, MIAA said that an electric audit of the Naia Terminal 3 would be carried out.

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