Kalibo airport head denies soliciting funds from airlines for PA system

The head of the Kalibo International Airport (KLO) denied a report that he asked airline firms to fund the setup of the much needed but absent public address (PA) system at the facility.

In a July 24 letter to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) head executive assistant Rey Avilla, KLO acting airport manager Martin Terre said that while he met with airline representatives last week to discuss the matter, the proposal to shell out money for the installation of a PA system came from the airline firms and not from him.

Although KLO is one of the country’s busiest airports, being the main gateway to Boracay Island with 38 domestic and 20 international flights daily, the P90 million contract for the construction of the airport’s new domestic passenger terminal building did not include the installation of the PA system.

The new terminal was conceptualized and construction started by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) in 2008 during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term. The CAAP only took over the construction project in 2014 and the building was finished in April.

Terre said that during the meeting with airline firms, “An open suggestion was raised among airline companies to shoulder the cost of the installation of PA system, which they themselves have agreed on in order to address the problem.”

Airline employees at the domestic terminal have had to use megaphones to update passengers on the status of their flights or issue instructions.

While the proposal never materialized, the CAAP already included the P90,000 needed for the installation of the PA system in its annual procurement program (APP) for 2016.

He pointed out that “the fund intended for the installation of the PA system was already approved by the director general of the CAAP head office and materials will be procured as soon as possible.”

CAAP aerodrome development and management service officer-in-charge Frederick San Felix assured the public that the P90,000 budget for the installation of the sound system has been released. SM