Sen. Grace Poe (File photo from the Senate Social Media Unit)
MANILA, Philippines — “I hope we don’t disappoint Filipinos.”
Sen. Grace Poe left this message to San Miguel Corp. (SMC) which won the bidding for the P170.6 billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) rehabilitation project on Friday.
Poe, who chairs the Senate panel on public services, said the success of the rehabilitation project would not only ensure safety and convenience for Filipinos but would also raise the country’s pride in welcoming the world with a “world-class gateway.”
“Our countrymen have long been waiting for an airport they can be proud of. I hope we don’t disappoint them,” she said in a statement.
According to Poe, SMC, being the winning bidder, faces a huge task of improving the decades-old structure of Naia through “crucial expansion and modernization” so it could finally “graduate” from the list of the world’s infamous airports.
“We welcome the announcement of the chosen private sector partner that will rehabilitate Naia, and wish the consortium the best of luck,” she added.
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Poe likewise emphasized that she trusted that the Department of Transportation would continue to ensure the “efficiency and transparency every step of the way,” in what she called a monumental development project.
SMC won the bidding for the highly-desired Naia rehabilitation project as it proposed a revenue share of 82.16 percent with the government.