The target date for opening the new airport terminal building has been moved so many times over the last four years that I cannot count them anymore. Every time a big boss from the national government comes to Tacloban Airport, they announce a new date; it's become funny.
Such big bosses come over one or two times a year, and the biggest announcement they make is that there is a new date. First, it was supposed to be the middle of 2022, then extended for a year, then another year. The last time was supposed to be April 2027. A few days ago, it was moved up to February 2027. We are supposed to be happy. Not really.
What does this common practice show?
First, the accomplishments did not reach targets. If the works were finished as scheduled, there would be no postponement.
Second, an official who does not supervise or control other implementing agencies that handle the budget, award contracts, and recruit personnel made the announcement. In other words, many bosses run aspects of the show, coordination is very difficult, and the airport schedule may not be followed because many of the actors are not aware of the schedule in the first place.
In the same press release made last week, the DOTr announced the opening of bids for around 850 million pesos worth of projects.
This announcement alone shows how impossible it is to finish the Tacloban Airport Development by February next year. Here are some computations..
The announcement means the government will spend 200 million pesos a month through the contractors, and the work runs from November to February. That is 7 million pesos a day. If 20 percent of that is for labor, there should be 700 minimum-wage workers a day at the site. These days, having 50 workers at the site already looks optimistic..
This also shows realistically the completion will still take a year after February 2027. We can expect another announcement to be made around March next year. The common practice goes on and on, ,like a broken record.
Saying it will open before Holy Week because of the deluge of passengers in that season is admirable. But the outlook should go beyond accommodating the passengers per se, but its effect on the region’s economy.
As a closing statement here, the delay is not just a matter of dates. It means income foregone because the terminal will easily double the number of passengers that can be accommodated, as long as the airlines also increase the number of passengers they bring to Tacloban.
In my computation, the annual gross loss of revenues in the protracted opening day is ₱ 5 billion a year. That could significantly affect employment and the need for goods and services created by more passengers.
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