For the second time, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was voted as the worst airport in the world. Travelers from all over the world based their votes on comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service.
On The Guide to Sleeping in Airports (TGSA) website, NAIA 1 is described as an old, dilapidated building with unbearable immigration lines and disturbingly ugly restrooms. Several travelers also pointed out that airport personnel were rude and dishonest, blatantly asking foreigners for ridiculous amounts of money when they would volunteer to assist them. Reviewers also criticized the lack of 24-hour food stalls and the fact that there is nothing to do for entertainment during long waits. Although some reviewers did point out the airport’s pros, the cons clearly outweighed them.
Whenever I am given the opportunity to travel abroad via Terminal 1, the initial feeling I get is dreading the long lines in check-in and immigration. It’s also almost impossible to find seats to wait in while the departure gates assigned are still closed.
However, what’s more disturbing to me is that, while each traveler is required to pay a terminal fee of P750, no visible changes are being made. With the amount of fees collected in a day, the least airport authorities can do is upgrade the facilities to meet the needs of the passengers. If a total renovation of the airport is too much to ask for, can there at least be toilet paper and hand soap in the restrooms?
It is about time that the government pays attention to the sorry state of our airport—the gateway to our country. Airports are the first and last impressions that a country makes on visitors. It’s hard to believe the posters of picturesque views of our country’s best tourist destinations captioned “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” when a dingy old airport with malfunctioning toilet bowls is the first thing that greets you.
In fact, in 2011, the first year NAIA was crowned the worst in the world by TGSA, President Aquino announced that a total renovation plan was in the works. In the same year, the powerhouse trio of internationally acclaimed Filipino industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue, furniture and industrial designer Budji Layug and architect Royal Pineda created a pro-bono facelift proposal for NAIA 1. The video the team did featuring a more modern and organized NAIA 1 was uploaded onto YouTube and generated significant buzz on social media. However, plans failed to materialize.
This October, it was formally announced that the renovations are to commence on December 1. The target end date is late 2014, as the country will be hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit the following year. Let’s hope this time something comes of the plans.
