The long-vacant Philippine Village Hotel in Pasay is set to be demolished shortly after Holy Week, making room for the construction of a new airport terminal that aims to ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
According to New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) General Manager Lito Alvarez, all necessary permits have already been secured, and the teardown will begin within weeks. “Nakuha na natin ang permits from the government agencies at ine-expect namin, in 5 months time, matatapos ang demolition noon,” Alvarez said in an ABS-CBN News report.
The hotel’s demolition will pave the way for the construction of NAIA Terminal 5, a new passenger terminal that is expected to be completed within two to three years. “Gagawa tayo ng panibagong terminal, yan ang Terminal 5 so siguro in two to three years time that will be finished,” Alvarez added.
This move is part of broader efforts by the San Miguel-led consortium to upgrade and expand the country’s main international gateway after securing a P122.3-billion deal with the government to manage and modernize NAIA.
“Imagine, 34 million passengers lang ang current capacity. Ang nilo-look forward to natin ngayong 2025 ay 54 million passengers so kailangan talaga natin ng additional facilities,” Alvarez said.
Aside from the defunct hotel, Terminal 4 will also be demolished for safety reasons, Alvarez revealed. “Yung lumang Terminal 4 ay hindi na natin itutuloy dahil nakita natin na yan ay isang malaking hazard, obstacle yan. Nabalitaan niyo yung nangyari sa Jeju Air na maraming namatay? Ayaw natin mangyari sa ating bansa yun.”
Terminal 4’s operations will be relocated to the International Cargo Terminal over the next three months, in collaboration with relevant government agencies and cargo operators. “So in the next three months asahan niyo, sa pakikipagtutulungan ng government agencies at tsaka cargo operators, maililipat namin sila sa ibang temporary facility at maicoconvert na natin yun na panibagong terminal,” he said.
In the meantime, NNIC is also investing in new technologies to enhance the airport experience. By September, NAIA will begin implementing automated systems such as self-bag drops, biometric check-ins, and advanced passenger processing systems. “Yung ating tinatawag na passenger processing system, self-bag drops, self check-in, yung biometrics… by September of this year meron na rin tayo nyan… Pinirmahan na ni boss Ramon Ang ang kontrata with Collins Aerospace,” Alvarez confirmed.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, who attended the same event, expressed full support for NNIC’s modernization efforts despite a pending legal challenge questioning the legitimacy of the public-private partnership.
“This was a properly bidded out concession agreement advised no less than by the Asian Development Bank so the government stands by the agreement and the process by which the agreement was signed,” said Dizon.
