KUMPIYANSA ang mga kongresista na mabubura ang masamang imahe ng surot, daga at tanim-bala sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) kapag pinangasiwaan na ito ng SMC consortium.

Sa isang press briefing ng mga batang kongresista na tinaguriang “Young Guns,” sinabi ni Deputy Speaker David “Jayjay” Suarez, kinatawan ng Quezon, na maituturing na “blessing” ang pagpasok ng SMC consortium sa NAIA.

“It’s a welcome development para sa ating bansa, ito pong kontrata na nakuha ng San Miguel group to run and operate NAIA. I think it is a blessing for our country,” ani Suarez.

“Nakita naman natin na isa po sa mga pinagkakaguluhan na destination ngayon sa Asya at maging sa mundo ay Pilipinas. And we want to make sure that, you know, when tourists, when Filipinos or whoever comes to the Philippines, they are properly attended to with the best facilities,” dagdag pa nito.

Sinabi ni Suarez na kailangan ng malaking pagbabago sa NAIA upang mabura sa isipan ang mga kontrobersyang kinasangkutan ng paliparan sa nakaraan.

“I would like to congratulate, of course, Secretary Jaime Bautista on this initiative together, of course, our President, President Bongbong Marcos. It will not only give better services to Filipinos but, I think, it’s a clear sign also for the rest of the country that the Philippines is moving toward the direction of being a first-class, world-class country when it comes to amenities and services,” sabi ni Suarez.

Ayon naman kay Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Miguel D. Almario, ang paliparan ay maituturing na isang “subconscious benchmark” ng isang bansa.

“Now this contract in place, I don’t think na iyong daga or ano-ano bang mga small creatures lang iyong tinitingnan dito, but it is the last impression of any tourist that enters. Kasi before anybody gets to surf, before anybody gets to enjoy our cuisine, the first thing that they have to go through is the airport,” sabi ni Almario.

Naniniwala naman si Assistant Majority Leader Francisco Paolo P. Ortega ng La Union na hindi lamang ang problema sa surot at daga ang inaasahan niyang tutugunan ng SMC.

“We know how San Miguel operates its facilities. I think everyone is excited with this development especially ang Philippines po kasi ay hot tourism destination pa rin with all the challenges that we are facing with the tourism facilities, iyong mga ports at saka ‘yung mga destinations natin,” sabi ni Ortega.

Para naman kay Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, anumang inisyatiba para sa pagpapaganda ng serbisyo ng paliparan ay isang “welcome development.”

“I agree and I join the statements of my colleagues here na ang Pilipinas po we have so much to offer, not only manpower but we have untapped resources here and I’m talking about our tourist destinations. First impression that you, we would have is kung ‘yung pupuntahan mo na bansa ay maganda iyong airport nila, di ba?” sabi ni Adiong.

“So, let’s make our future foreign tourists when they set foot here in the Philippines, let’s make it memorable for them,” dagdag pa nito.

Ayon naman kay House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo “Jil” D. Bongalon, makabubuti kung maganda ang maiiwang imahe sa isipan ng mga bumibisita sa bansa.

“We want to be remembered as one of the best airports in the world. So aalisin na natin ‘yung stigma na noong mga nakaraang taon lagi tayong napapasama sa may pinaka-worst airport in the world,” sabi ni Bongalon.

“So, with this, we are looking forward to and we are very excited about the best services that San Miguel Corporation is going to offer. And that is something to be proud of as a Filipino,” wika pa nito.

Nakuha ng SMC-SAP & Co. ang P170.6-bilyong kontrata para sa operasyon at pangangasiwa sa NAIA.

Ang SMC SAP & Co. Consortium ay binubuo ng San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. at Incheon International Airport Corp.

Sa Setyembre itinakda ang takeover ng SMC-SAP sa NAIA.