By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Cognizant of the existential anguish that some personnel of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) could be experiencing with the upcoming turnover of the operations and maintenance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to the private sector, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista has reassured that none of them will be displaced.

The DOTr released the statement on Saturday (09 March 2024) after the DOTr chief reiterated to the MIAA staff that no employee will be displaced during the agency’s 42nd anniversary on Friday (08 March 2024).

“Part of the concession agreement is for the concessionaire to offer positions to existing employees of Manila International Airport Authority,” Bautista said.

DOTr Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Timothy John Batan had earlier said that the private group that bagged the concession deal to take over NAIA’s operations is required to offer jobs to the current workers of the airport to ensure no job losses would result from the privatization initiative.

“Be it regular employees, contract of service or job order. Ibig sabihin, walang mawawalan ng trabaho dito,” Bautista vowed.

To recall, last February, the DOTr announced that SMC-SAP & Company Consortium won the 15-year concession deal to rehabilitate, operate, and expand NAIA, with an option for a 10-year extension depending on the performance of the concessionaire.

The winning group is made up of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp.

During the announcement of the winning bidder, Bautista had also promised that no jobs would be lost when SMC-SAP group takes over NAIA as “employees will be absorbed” and some will be retained by the MIAA, which will remain as the regulator of the airport.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

CEBU CITY — After 79 years of absence, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has bared plans to reintroduce the railway to Cebu island province which is now experiencing heavy traffic due to its increasing population and developing economy.

Local officials here welcomed the DOTR’s plan as they noted that Cebu used to have a railway system that connected Argao in the south to Danao in the north, but it was severely damaged during the Second World War.

“The beauty of the subway as first seen in the subway in Metro Manila is that between stations, we are tunneling underground and people don’t even know that we are already building underground, and that is what we are planning to do in Cebu,” DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan disclosed after meeting with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia last Thursday (29 February 2024).

He presented to Garcia the “Metro Cebu Urban Transport Master Plan.”

However, Batan admitted that the project is still in the pre-planning stages and still has to come up with a concrete timeline and estimated costs, including the source of funding.

He told reporters the plan is to build a 67.5-kilometer underground passenger railway line or subway system connecting Carcar City in the south to Danao City in the north.

Batan added that this will resemble the ongoing construction of the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway in the National Capital Region (NCR).

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

WHAT’S WRONG with cooperatives?

This question was raised by no other than Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista on Wednesday as he said the government is willing to address the demands of transport groups currently on strike but the formation of transport cooperatives remains “non-negotiable.”

Bautista stressed that the government is open to discussing the demands of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON), but the consolidation requirement for jeepney operators and drivers will remain a key aspect of the public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP).

“There were demands and sabi nga namin (we said), we are ready to address all these but one very important issue that sabi namin (we said), non-negotiable ‘yung industry consolidation because we need the players to consolidate to a cooperative or corporation,” the DOTr chief said.

On the other hand, PISTON is demanding that the new vehicles will be granted a five-year franchise.

It also wanted the fast-tracking of the transfer of the franchises should vehicles be sold.

PISTON argued that this then leads to the operators not being granted fuel subsidies even if they already acquired the vehicles.

“‘Yung subsidy na ‘yan ay mababayaran dun sa registered owner and one of the issue daw diyan ay dahil naibenta na sa kanila pero hindi pa nalilipat ay hindi nila makukuha ‘yung fuel subsidy,” Bautista retorted.

He added: “Actually, halos naman lahat (ng demands pwedeng pagbigyan). Ang kailangan lang, konting oras, pero ang sabi ko ang hindi naman talaga pwedeng pagbigyan is ‘yung ayaw nilang mag-consolidate.”

(ai/mnm)