MANILA -- Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday vowed to take steps to fix the flooding at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
Heavy rains have caused floods at the departure-level link bridge at the MCIA Terminal 2.
“Titignan ho natin yan at alam ko naman na hindi palalampasin natin iyong estado na kung saan binabaha (We will look into that. And we will not ignore its state wherein it is flooded)," Tugade said in a Palace press briefing.
“Ito ho, magpapakita lang na dapat tignan pansin yung paggawa. At kung mayroon talaga iyan, eh di solusyonan po natin (It only shows that we need to give attention and find solution to it),” he added.
Tugade said he was informed by MCIA chief executive advisor Andrew Harrison that Terminal 2 is already operational.
"Andrew Harrison said it is usable again by the departing passengers. It was caused by heavy rains and clogged drainage outside the terminal. They expect a permanent fix within the day,” he said.
Meanwhile, airport operator GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation apologized to MCIA passengers and assured that it will implement all possible remedies to control the flooding.
“We apologize to all passengers for the inconvenience caused by the overflow of rainwater at the departure level link-bridge at MCIA Terminal 2. We are already taking corrective measures to rectify the situation,” Megawide said in a statement.
The firm said it is conducting an inspection of the road drains of the terminal to ensure normal outflow of water on its drainage system. It is also looking into installing exterior blinds at the link-bridge to prevent rainwater from coming in.
“We thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we go through the transition phase to fully deliver the level of service expected of a first-world airport,” Megawide said.
Photos that went viral on social media showed gutter deep floods inside the terminal caused by heavy rains.
The MCIA Terminal 2 was inaugurated last June 7, with President Rodrigo Duterte gracing the ceremony.
The terminal, which started operations on July 1, is seen to increase MCIA’s annual passenger capacity to 12.2 million passengers from the current 4.5 million.
The 65,000 square meter Terminal 2 is designed to host international flights. (With reports from Luel Galarpe/PNA)
