A ceiling panel that gave way at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1 during one of the country’s busiest travel periods has drawn sharp criticism toward the private firm now running the facility, with a House lawmaker calling for accountability and a formal legislative inquiry.
The collapse happened around 10:43 a.m. on Good Friday, April 3, at the West Arrival Curb C of Terminal 1’s arrival extension area. Seven people were injured. Footage of the incident showed passengers rushing away as debris fell around them. A rental agent who photographed the aftermath recalled: “They were sitting there on the chairs opposite [the collapsed ceiling].”
New Naia Infra Corp. General Manager Lito Alvarez confirmed the casualty count and said those affected had been given immediate medical attention, with “all are in stable condition.”
Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who chairs the House committee on public accounts, framed the timing as damning. “That this incident occurred on Holy Week — one of the busiest travel periods of the year — raises serious concerns regarding the level of maintenance of Naia terminals under the new airport operator,” he said. He argued that NNIC should have anticipated the surge in passengers and acted accordingly: “NNIC should have conducted a comprehensive inspection of all terminal facilities in anticipation of increased passenger traffic.”
Ridon also raised a question that could have direct bearing on who shoulders legal liability — whether the panel that fell was installed under NNIC or had been in place before the consortium assumed operations in September 2024. “NNIC must also clarify whether the collapsed ceiling panel was part of an old or newly installed structure, as this will determine whether liability is shared with the [MIAA], the previous airport operator,” he said. NNIC’s concession agreement, worth P170.6 billion, was signed in March 2024 among the Department of Transportation, the Manila International Airport Authority, and NNIC.
On the question of compensation, Ridon was direct: “While an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collapse of a ceiling panel at the West Arrival Curb C of NAIA Terminal 1, the [NNIC] must ensure that the seven injured individuals remain in stable condition and are provided with adequate financial compensation for the injuries they sustained as a result of the incident.”
The Department of Transportation said Secretary Giovanni Banoy Lopez had ordered MIAA and NNIC to account for what happened. “Transportation Secretary [Giovanni] Banoy Lopez has immediately instructed MIAA and NNIC to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and airport personnel and to submit a detailed report explaining the cause of the incident,” the DOTr said, adding that Terminal 1 operations remain normal.
Friday’s incident is not the first time NNIC’s stewardship of the airport has come under fire. Last May, safety bollards at Terminal 1 failed to stop a runaway vehicle, killing a five-year-old child and a 29-year-old man and injuring four others. Lawmakers including Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong raised the possibility that substandard materials were used in the bollards’ construction, while former Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas called the deaths preventable had safety standards been properly enforced.
Separately, petitioners before the Supreme Court have challenged the legality of NNIC’s takeover, arguing the PPP arrangement violates constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection and leaves airport users to “fend for themselves” under a rate regulation framework they say defies the separation of powers.
Ridon said the increased fees that accompanied NNIC’s management make accountability all the more pressing. “As the current airport operator, NNIC bears ultimate responsibility for this incident — especially in light of increased terminal and airport fees under the new management,” he said, adding that he expects the House Committee on Transportation to take up the matter at the earliest opportunity.
