PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd is satisfied with ongoing rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA 1), which he visited on Thursday evening.

Reports said that the government was spending P1 billion for quick repairs of toilets, waiting areas, WiFi connections, repainting of ceilings and push carts, among other make-overs of the heavily criticized NAIA 1, which ironically was renamed after President Aquino’s father, the late former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

Malacañang spokesman Edwin Lacierda on Friday said that Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas 2nd will conduct a media briefing next week before the Malacañang Press Corps where he will discuss details and costs of the improvements of NAIA 1.
“The President was satisfied,” Lacierda told a press conference.

Mr. Aquino, upon landing at NAIA 1 from Bacolod City where he attended the wake of the mother of Sen. Sergio Osmena 2nd, took a quick look at Terminal 1 where he also checked the toilets.

The President was delighted upon seeing that there was running water and toilet paper.
Hand-dryers were also working.

Mr. Aquino went inside women’s toilets.

NAIA 1 Terminal Manager Dante Basanta explained to the President the current condition of the 30-year-old airport and the major renovation undertaken at the terminal.

The newly renovated flooring at the arrival area and sleeping lounge, which can be rented by incoming and outgoing passengers, were also shown to the President.

Mr. Aquino was also briefed by Roxas on a planned P1-billion facelift of the entire naia 1 complex.
Basanta said that to be able to accommodate the growing number of visitors and passengers, the whole arrival area will be expanded and a multilevel parking will be constructed.

The President lauded the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on its plans despite criticisms that it has been receiving from foreigners.

Mr. Aquino summoned to Malacañang early this week Roxas and MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Hondrado to discuss details of the repairs at Terminals 1 and 3.

Chastised, criticized
CNN’s travel site, CNNGO.com, places the NAIA at No. 5 on its list of “World’s Most Hated Airports.”
NAIA, particularly Terminal 1, now ranks No. 1 among the “Worst Airports in the World,” according to “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” an interactive website that gathers reports from various reviewers.

Reports said that the main building façade will also have a quick facelift, including repainting.

“There are structural renovations being done. Apart from that, we also have the interior renovations being done as well. For instance, lighting, landscaping . . . ,” Lacierda said.

Interviewed over Youtube’s World View Interview Series also on Friday, Mr. Aquino acknowledged the need to improve the NAIA 1, saying that the structure has reached its saturation point.

“There is a plan for it, for improving the NAIA, structurally and aesthetically . . . It will be a stop-gap measure for the next four or five years because we are looking at an alternative for that complex given the fact that it will be hard for us to support the 10 million tourist arrivals that we are targeting,” he said during the interview.

With report from Mayvelin U. Caraballo