MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday was impressed to see the new equipment installed in the country’s transportation hubs as he did his usual round of inspections in time for the Holy Week.
“Lalo na dito sa port, nakita natin iyong mga screening devices, iyong mga monitors. Noong unang dalaw ko dito, noong tayo ay bagong upo, ang mga monitor nila iyong monochromatic…Ngayon talagang moderno na, iyong kaya nung device na i-highlight iyong mga suspicious articles na dapat bigyan pansin nung ating mga inspector,” the President said during an ambush interview at the North Port Passenger Terminal Complex in Manila.
(Especially here at the port, we saw the screening devices, the monitors. When I first visited the place after assuming my position as President, the monitors were monochromatic…Now they have truly modernized, the devices are now able to highlight suspicious articles that should be given attention to by our inspectors.)
Aquino said he was glad that the management followed his instructions and improved the port’s facilities.
Before inspecting the complex and one of the docked passenger vessels at the harbor, the President visited terminals 3 and 4 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where he received a short briefing from Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.
X-ray machines, help desk counters, and the pre-boarding area were among the things inspected by Aquino’s group, which included Abaya, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino.
Passengers were able to chat with the President and take photos with him.
Later in the afternoon, the group headed to the Five Star Bus Company terminal in Cubao and the Jac Liner Terminal in Kamias where Aquino again spoke to the commuters and gave out yellow ballers.
New terminals
At North Harbor, he spoke of plans to construct new terminals to give way to more airplanes and passenger areas.
“Ngayon may mga plano na kung ano ang gagawin kung magtatayo tayo ng mga terminal na budget terminal. Hinihintay natin iyong lahat ng pag-aaral dahil talagang sobrang kitid lalo na ‘nung Terminal 4,” he said.
(There are plans on what to do if we will push through with the construction of a terminal for budget airlines. We are just waiting for the study because Terminal 4 is really congested.)
He also said the government is still pushing for the promotion of airports outside Metro Manila.
“Dati parang ang focus natin ’pag may dumarating na turista, tiyak na dadaan ng Maynila. Pero pag turista ka at limitado ang oras mo sa bakasyon mo, mas gugustuhin mong dumiretso na sa kung saan man ang pupuntahan,” he explained.
(In the past our belief is that when tourists arrive in the country they will pass through Manila. But if you are a tourist and your vacation time is limited, you would prefer to go directly to where you will spend your vacation.)
Aquino said some of the airports being considered are those in Bohol, Caticlan, Daraga, Laguindingan and Puerto Princesa.
Increased number of tourists
From an average of three million passengers during the previous years, he said the country was able to reach around five million passengers last year.
“We are on schedule of our target of 10 million foreign tourist arrivals,” Aquino said.
The ferry company 2Go also reported a 12 percent increase in their number of passengers compared to last year.
“So, habang dumadami, lumalaki ang ekonomiya, dumadami ang pagkakataon ng ating mga kababayan na lumakbay e siyempre kailangang sumabay iyong mga pasilidad ng gobyerno at ng pamahalaan at iyon ang tinatrabaho natin,” the President said.
(So while tourist arrivals continue to increase, our economy is booming, and there are more opportunities for our citizens to travel, there is a need to improve government facilities and that is what we are working on.)
Aquino, who hails from Tarlac, also said he is eyeing the construction of a railway system connecting Clark International Airport to the central business district in Metro Manila.
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