MIAA abolishes 844 plantilla posts amid NAIA privatization

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA – The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), former operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), on Tuesday abolished 844 plantilla positions following the airport’s privatization.

Most of these were the positions of those who joined the new management, the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), which took over operations on Sept. 14.

The MIAA, now a regulator, is still waiting for the Governance Commission for GOCCs’ (GCG) approval of the proposed organizational structure.

Head executive assistant Chris Bendijo said the MIAA had requested 1,463 positions.

Asked when they could expect GCG’s answer, Bendijo said they could not determine it.

“We have no way of determining that but GCG has committed to expedite their review of the MIAA restructuring plan,” he said in an interview.

Bendijo added that before the airport’s privatization, the MIAA had 1,984 plantilla posts approved by the Department of Budget and Management.

The proposed structure, according to MIAA, would help streamline operations and strengthen its regulatory capacity, ensuring that it could effectively monitor the progress and development of NAIA.

Meanwhile, in a news release, the MIAA said the government is looking forward to NNIC’s development plan for NAIA.

The public-private partnership, it said, would allow the MIAA to maintain its focus “on fulfilling critical governmental functions, ensuring that the government can continue to protect its interests both domestically and internationally.”

MIAA General Manager Eric Ines called on the remaining employees to help fulfill MIAA’s role as a regulator.

“Tulungan niyo sana po ako, hinihingi ko ang inyong tulong. Paghati-hatian natin yung ating gagawin sapagkat hindi namin kakayanin kung iilan lang tayo (I seek your support and participation in doing our tasks. We cannot do this alone.) So, each and every one is really responsible to our new role,” Ines was quoted as saying.

The MIAA finished on Tuesday a two-day workshop with the Asian Development Bank.

The sessions aimed to “acquaint MIAA representatives with the obligations and difficulties that come with their new position as regulators and to establish the framework for MIAA’s smooth transition to its new regulatory function,” it said. (PNA)