The New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC) said it would audit the safety bollards placed in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after it failed to prevent an SUV from ramming into the terminal last weekend.
The project cost P8 million, based on the 2019 accomplishment report of the Manila International Airport Authority, which was the previous operator of NAIA.
“This will determine where reinforcements—such as deeper foundations or structural upgrades—are needed for existing bollards that were installed in 2019, along with similar protective barriers, particularly in high foot-traffic areas,” NNIC said of the audit.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered the investigation of the bollards to determine if the installed ones are up to standard.
“Ang tatanungin lang naman dito, simple lang, sumunod ba ang MIAA nung binili nila ito noong 2019 sa standards para sa mga airport? Kailangan talaga sumunod tayo sa international standards… Kung merong pagkakamali dyan ay merong pananagutan yan,” said DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, architect Armando Alli said that the bollard that the SUV hit must have been shallowly anchored.
“Yung bollard na nandoon sa sidewalk should have proper anchorage for that stopping power. Dapat talaga nakabaon deep into the, if possible, sa reinforcements… If it was properly constructed, the SUV could’ve easily been stopped by one bollard, it can stop a truck,” said Alli.
In addition, Alli said that if there were any issues with the project, the construction manager should have seen them early on.
Construction managers review the plans; they oversee the entire construction process, including change orders. He said that ” Kunyari defective nga yung design can be changed during construction,” he said.
The NNIC is in the process of getting replacement bollards.
In addition, they plan to change the diagonal passenger drop-off layout at Terminals 1 and 2 to a safer, parallel unloading configuration.