The future is late
Published Jan 17, 2023 12:05 am
MEDIUM RARE
Jullie Y. Daza
Jun Palafox, urban planner non pareil, has seen the future and it reads 2050.
Twenty-seven years from now, there will be 150 million Filipinos. What are we doing now to prepare comfortable, safe, and secure airports for them? “The cities of this century will be airport-driven,” following in the footsteps (not literally) of being “port-driven, railway-driven, then highway-driven,” in that order.
History provides good reading but leaders need vision, imagination, and determination to forge ahead and overcome challenges foreseen, seen, and unseen.
In 1997, recalls Mr. Palafox, when he was “name-hired” to be a senior partner (architect town planner) of the then desert town of Dubai, “our Manila International Airport was probably 50 years ahead, more advanced than Dubai.” You make me weep, Jun.
He adds, “Today, Dubai with less than four million inhabitants, is building the largest airport in the world, to serve 250 million passengers by the year 2050. Currently, Dubai international is one of the most modern and busiest.” While the great cities of the world operate multi airports – New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Paris -- we and our visitors are stuck in an airport that has been long overdue for expansion, in the meantime garnering murderous comments from individuals and institutions. Yes, DOTr is talking about privatization, but that’s a different story.
“Airports are the business cards of a country. You must be a satisfied tourist before you become an investor,” Mr. Palafox points out, and don’t we know it. The plan to update NAIA “must be implemented soonest,” but how soon? How many more presidents and aviation experts/authorities later?
On his first trip outside the country on the first week of 2023, President Marcos had the good fortune of leaving for China two days after the airport snafu (situation normal, all fouled up) and returning three days later to hear voices yelling for heads to roll at the Civil Aviation Authority. Instead of that happening, BBM expressed his regrets and spared those still-intact necks from physical and symbolic decapitation. Saved by the bell, but maybe not the Senate, as we were told CAAP blamed an expired contract for a sky-high failure that could’ve ended in a catastrophe. Sounds like indigestion, not congestion. (More next week)
Jullie Y. Daza
Jun Palafox, urban planner non pareil, has seen the future and it reads 2050.
Twenty-seven years from now, there will be 150 million Filipinos. What are we doing now to prepare comfortable, safe, and secure airports for them? “The cities of this century will be airport-driven,” following in the footsteps (not literally) of being “port-driven, railway-driven, then highway-driven,” in that order.
History provides good reading but leaders need vision, imagination, and determination to forge ahead and overcome challenges foreseen, seen, and unseen.
In 1997, recalls Mr. Palafox, when he was “name-hired” to be a senior partner (architect town planner) of the then desert town of Dubai, “our Manila International Airport was probably 50 years ahead, more advanced than Dubai.” You make me weep, Jun.
He adds, “Today, Dubai with less than four million inhabitants, is building the largest airport in the world, to serve 250 million passengers by the year 2050. Currently, Dubai international is one of the most modern and busiest.” While the great cities of the world operate multi airports – New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Paris -- we and our visitors are stuck in an airport that has been long overdue for expansion, in the meantime garnering murderous comments from individuals and institutions. Yes, DOTr is talking about privatization, but that’s a different story.
“Airports are the business cards of a country. You must be a satisfied tourist before you become an investor,” Mr. Palafox points out, and don’t we know it. The plan to update NAIA “must be implemented soonest,” but how soon? How many more presidents and aviation experts/authorities later?
On his first trip outside the country on the first week of 2023, President Marcos had the good fortune of leaving for China two days after the airport snafu (situation normal, all fouled up) and returning three days later to hear voices yelling for heads to roll at the Civil Aviation Authority. Instead of that happening, BBM expressed his regrets and spared those still-intact necks from physical and symbolic decapitation. Saved by the bell, but maybe not the Senate, as we were told CAAP blamed an expired contract for a sky-high failure that could’ve ended in a catastrophe. Sounds like indigestion, not congestion. (More next week)