#MINDANAO

Last month, authorities announced changes in the terminal assignments for several airlines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which serves Metro Manila and nearby areas. These changes  include separating the international and domestic operations of certain airlines.
For residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces, this means that they just need to proceed to the terminals to board their flights.
However, for those like me from other regions in the Philippines it is a bit different.  We who connect through the NAIA to fly to international destinations, or even to domestic points through a different airline, this means moving to a different terminal to board the connecting or onward flights.
This movement requires retrieving the 20-30 kilo suitcase from one terminal and lugging it to another terminal, often on a costly taxi since shuttle buses come at long 45-minute intervals. If we wait for the bus, we often risk missing our connecting flights. Upon arrival at the next terminal, the suitcase is again dropped at the check-in counters prior to boarding the flight. Since this transfer has to be done in either heat or rain, it is hardly pleasant nor convenient. It can be tough.
If transferring terminals to board connecting flights is tough for someone like me, I imagine the extra effort needed by others like senior citizens who often have more difficulty bringing their luggage up these buses or loading them on taxis just to transfer to the next terminal.
This is why Manila’s airport matters to us who are not from Metro Manila. We depend on this airport to fly to many destinations.  However, the difficulties in getting to and from the terminals can cause us to miss our flights.
I hope the Manila International Airport authorities recognize the difficulties we in the regions face when connecting to our onward destinations through the NAIA. That said, allow me to put forward some suggestions to help address these concerns.
For one, perhaps more frequent shuttle buses can ferry passengers to the different terminals. For those availing of these shuttle services, I hope that the waiting areas and lounges can also be more comfortable.
An additional suggestion is for these shuttle buses to have online booking features. This allows us who are flying in and connecting to other airlines in other terminals, to be aware of shuttle schedules and be assured of bus seats. The same online booking system can be installed in the point-to-point buses connecting the airport terminals with the PITX and Araneta bus terminals. This is a big help for us who take buses to places near Metro Manila. These suggestions are pushed because  Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the country’s main gateway. It needs to set the example of efficiency and convenience for the increasing volume of passengers, which include foreign tourists connecting to our tourist spots and ordinary Filipinos from the regions who need to reach home or work through this airport.

Maguindanao Basilan ferry

I welcome the launch of the new Maguindanao Basilan ferry route since this enables easier and less costly travel and cargo logistics services for various products within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the other Mindanao regions. This can lower the cost of doing business between these areas and paves the way for increased economic growth. We hope to see more direct shipping and air routes within the Visayas and Mindanao.