As Naia reels from bed bugs, rats, has it hit rock bottom yet?

NAIA COMPOSITE IMAGE: INQUIRER FILE, SCREENGRAB PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines—As the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) awaits much-needed rehabilitation to shed its reputation as one of the worst airports in Asia, if not the world, it continues to face a string of persistent challenges that raise questions about what to expect in the coming years.

In 2023 alone, Naia faced a slew of issues that sparked significant controversies, from a power outage and system glitch that paralyzed Philippine airspace to the dismissal of numerous workers implicated in alleged theft and extortion.

Recently, NAIA gained notoriety online for all the wrong reasons, following traveler complaints about bed bug infestations, locally known as ‘surot.’ Compounding the airport’s woes were separate sightings of a rat and a cockroach gallivanting in airport premises, further tarnishing the reputation of the country’s main gateway.

Bugged, concerned passengers

Last February 27, a Facebook post alleging that the rattan chairs in Naia Terminal 2 harbored bed bugs went viral. The individuals who posted the incident even included photos of their legs and thighs with what they believed were bed bug bites.

The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa), responsible for managing and operating NAIA, promptly issued an apology and acknowledged receiving complaints from passengers who had been bitten by the small blood-sucking pests.

READ: Miaa takes action as ‘surot’ issue bites Naia Terminals 2 and 3

Miaa confirmed that the passengers received medical assistance from airport medical teams.

Additionally, a separate incident gained attention when a Facebook post, initially shared earlier in the year, resurfaced. It featured a video allegedly showing bed bugs emerging from the crevices of a metal chair in Naia Terminal 3.

“The MIAA apologizes to the victims and assures them that a speedy resolution to this can be expected,” the agency said, stressing that it has already ordered the inspection and enhanced sanitation measures at Terminals 2 and 3 of the airport.

READ: Poe on bed bugs at NAIA: ‘That’s an issue in other countries as well’

Last March 1, following orders of inspection and enhanced sanitation in the terminals, Miaa Head Executive Assistant Chris Noel Bendijo confirmed that the airport chairs are now safe and “surot-free.”

Part of Filipino-inspired Naia ‘facelift’

Bendijo also said that all rattan chairs, which are exclusive to Terminal 2, were also removed and will be replaced with gang chairs from other terminals.

He said Miaa General Manager Eric Ines ordered the rattan chairs removed. The airport’s pest control contractor and terminal managers also recommended that the rattan chairs be removed for good, Bendijo said.

READ: Miaa: Naia Terminals 2 and 3 now free from bed bugs

The rattan chairs had been installed in April 2023 as part of an initiative to infuse Filipino-themed interiors in the airport. This was a collaborative effort between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to enhance the airport’s ambiance.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan

Along with solihiya panels on walls and artisanal lamps, the rattan chairs were intended to highlight and celebrate esteemed Filipino craftsmanship.

“The effort is to give tourists and travelers alike a reminder of how beautiful our country is and how talented our Filipino workers are, as can clearly be seen in all the furniture that has been installed in this terminal,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco last year.

“This is the ‘Filipinization’ of our airports where we brand it, and we stamp it the best of the best of the Philippines,” she added.

Pest sighting, service providers in hot water

In the wake of the bed bug infestation, additional concerns arose among the public due to separate sightings of a rat and a cockroach freely roaming within the country’s primary airport, exacerbating the unease.

Following the distressing reports, Miaa issued a stern warning to its housekeeping and pest control contractors, demanding improved services to avoid being blacklisted.

The airport’s administrator further clarified that the contracts for pest control and housekeeping services are set to expire within the year, underscoring the urgency for these providers to enhance their performance.

READ: Naia pest control, housekeeping providers told to shape up or ship out

In a statement, Ines said the Miaa would revise terms of reference for contractors to impose “stiffer and higher penalties for liquidated damages.”

The statement added that contractors must submit a program of work weekly and monthly to set up “an immediate response mechanism.”

Naia: Worst airport?

In a statement, Sen. Grace Poe noted that the bed bug and rat infestation at Naia was not typical but cautioned that Philippine tourism will suffer if this was not addressed.

“The bed bug infestation and reported sightings of rats may be untypical incidents, but in the bigger scheme of things, [it] could scare travelers and have a dent in our tourism,” said Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services.

READ: Bed bugs, rat at NAIA ‘untypical’ but may harm tourism – Grace Poe

In recent years, the airport has acquired a notorious reputation, being labeled as one of the “worst” in Asia and, according to various studies, even globally.

In 2011, data from “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” an interactive website that gathers reports from various reviewers, identified Naia Terminal 1 as the worst airport in the world.

READ: Naia 1 is rated ‘world’s worst airport’

In subsequent years, despite no longer being ranked as the worst airport globally, the Naia continued to appear and even topped various lists of the worst airports, according to multiple studies.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan

In a significant improvement for 2017, Naia made its way out of the notorious rankings, no longer featuring in the top 20 worst airports globally or in the top 5 worst airports in Asia, as revealed in a survey published by “The Guide To Sleeping In Airports.”

This represented a significant turning point for the nation’s primary airport, underscoring its dedication to improving the travel experience. However, in recent years, the airport has unfortunately seen a regression, once again finding itself on the list of the worst airports in Asia.

Last year, two separate studies by Casago.com and travel website hawaiianislands.com named Naia as the 8th worst airport in Asia for passenger queueing times and the third most stressful airport in the region.

Recently, a study by BusinessFinancing.co.uk ranked Naia as the fourth worst airport in Asia for business travelers, who gave it an average score of just 2.78 out of 10.

Naia rehab: What to expect?

Poe also recently expressed hope that “there would not be glitches in the planned rehabilitation project of Nasa.”

Shortly before the outbreak of the bed bug incident at Terminal 2 became widely known, the DOTr revealed that the SMC SAP & Co. Consortium, a consortium headed by San Miguel Corporation (SMC), had secured the contract for the P170.6 billion Naia rehabilitation project.

The Ramon Ang-led group’s commitment to provide a revenue share of 82.16 percent to the government from Naia operations bested the bids from GMR Airports Consortium (33.3 percent) and Manila International Airport Consortium (25.91 percent).

The concession agreement is scheduled for signing within 30 days. This will be followed by a financial closing that will take three to six months before the group officially implements the improvements.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan

The project mandates the SMC-led consortium to oversee NAIA’s operations and enhance its infrastructure, including runways, terminals, and other facilities. The consortium will have a 15-year concession period to implement the project, which can be extended by 10 years if needed.

This extensive rehabilitation project aims to boost NAIA’s capacity from 35 million to 62 million passengers annually, raise runway capacity to an annual peak hourly rate of 48 air traffic movements from 40, elevate service standards to international benchmarks, and leverage private sector expertise for comprehensive modernization and expansion.

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