Several organizations across Cebu urged the government to pursue the Megawide-GMR Infrastructure’s P109-billion proposal for rehabilitation and expansion of the country’s main gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In a letter addressed to President Duterte, different stakeholders from Cebu’s tourism and health sectors expressed support to Megawide’s NAIA rehabilitation plans as Filipinos shall experience immense improvement in efficiency, and airport security.
This came after Cebu Business Groups — the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. — wrote separately to Department of Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade and House Transportation Committee chairman Edgar Mary Sarmiento and reminded them that NAIA rehabilitation is part of the President’s Build-Build-Build legacy.
Last December, the Megawide-GMR has filed a motion for reconsideration with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to reverse its decision on revocation of its original proponent status (OPS) due to failure to meet the financial requirements.
NAIA’s modernization is necessary not only to jumpstart the country’s tourism and economy, but to also ensure the country’s safety amid global health threats like the Covid-19 pandemic according to Dr. James Peter Aznar, MD, Prime Care Alpha COVID- 19 Testing Laboratory head.
Aznar believed that airports inadvertently have become the gateway of the Covid-19 pandemic and will remain not only as the primary gateway, but also as the first line of defense of each country on such global occurrences.
“We strongly believe that Megawide and GMR are also the nation’s best bet to revive the glory of the country’s airports most especially the country’s primary gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA),” Aznar said in his letter to President Duterte on December 21.
In addition, Cebu Association of Tour Guides president Mary Grace Melendres said their group strongly denounced and decries the “harassment” against world-class Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) operators Megawide and GMR, as they face an anti-dummy case before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Completely opposite from what the case makes of the Megawide-GMR partnership, Melendres said the partnership has only been an asset to Cebu tourism.
“We believe the sole purpose of this issue is to tarnish their reputation given the NAIA project and has nothing to do with the airport’s management,” Melendres said in a letter addressed to President Duterte last December 28, 2020.
