Terminal decision-making

Transportation Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II should come up with a better explanation on why his department chose Leandro V. Locsin & Associates (LVL) for the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, other than that the architecture firm was the original designer of the building. The triumvirate of Royal Pineda, Budji Layug and Kenneth Cobonpue has submitted a less expensive plan; the three have even written off professional fees to come up with something that’s aesthetically pleasing and more financially practical.

But Roxas has basically dismissed the Pineda-Layug-Cobonpue (PLC) plan, describing it as strong on design but weak on structure. Structural renovation should be given as much weight as aesthetic amelioration. He explained that the government is going for LVL, led by the namesake and son of the late National Artist Leandro Locsin who designed the structure, since it has the blueprints and presumably knows the ins and outs of the building.

But Cobonpue, a renowned industrial designer whose designs have won important international awards and appeared in leading architecture magazines and even in Hollywood movies, feels insulted that Roxas should think PLC made its plan without the technical blueprints of the terminal. Cobonpue said his group’s design was done in coordination with airport engineers. “We also had the original blueprints and plans in front of us when we were making this,” he said, adding that PLC is qualified to renovate the airport. He also noted: “This Leandro Locsin now is not the same Leandro Locsin that designed the airport 30 years ago,” and that PLC’s expertise could be at par with, if not on a higher level than, LVL’s.

While generally dismissing PLC’s plan as mere aesthetic facelift, Roxas himself said the main chunk of the airport rehabilitation budget, amounting to P500 million, will go to aesthetics and interior design. For retrofit and structural upgrades, the government will spend P340 million. It will also shell out P300 million for rapid exit taxiways to “reduce waiting time’’ of airplanes, P20 million for improvements in 72 toilets in the airport, and P20 million more for urinals and other amenities. Roxas said banks and duty-free shops would be relocated.

The PLC plan seeks to hasten the flow of passengers in the airport while providing both arriving and departing passengers the homey Filipino feel. It seeks to create a feeling of openness so banks and establishments that block the exit to the lobby will be relocated. The arrival area will be surrounded with glass where passengers can see all the way to the lobby and beyond. The wall that separates Customs from the luggage area will be opened up; from there, passengers will see the garden. More natural light will come in. Operations will be streamlined. PLC has called its approach “Tropical Moderne,” with tent-like waiting sheds for greeters, surrounded by foliage and restaurants. The concrete open parking lot in Terminal 1 will be transformed into a three-story parking space and a lush landscape lined with select food outlets. The proposed park will showcase the best of Filipino dining brands and a changing exhibit of artworks. A canopied walkway will lead to the greeters and well-wishers’ lounge. The interior renovation will cost P450 million while the park development will fetch P500 million. The three planners have worked on this project pro bono.

In addition, PLC has been working on the plan for eight months now. It’s surprising that Roxas announced the LVL plan only after a travel website voted Naia 1 as one of the world’s worst airports.

Cobonpue said PLC had been approached early this year by Cabinet men to draft a plan to renovate the airport. Roxas was appointed to the Cabinet only last June.

Understandably Cobonpue feels slighted. He said the PLC plan is cheaper than the government’s which costs P1.16 billion just for the airport’s interior. “All we want is transparency,” he said. “What happened to our eight months of work? Why did the government’s mind suddenly change? He also urged the government to clarify if there was a transparent bidding done before awarding the contract to LVL.

Aside from transparency, the government should clarify its system of decision-making. Just last month, Roxas said that the government was considering the sale of Naia 1 to raise as much as $2.5 billion for aviation infrastructure. Less than a month later, he comes up with the LVL plan which he says is more thorough than the PLC’s, which has taken eight months to draft. Clearly Roxas has a lot of explaining to do.