New NAIA facilities to boost tourism

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. expects to uplift Philippine tourism as he launched new facilities in the country’s busiest airport on Tuesday amid a slowing arrival of foreign visitors for the year.

In a launch at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City, Mr. Marcos said the 42 new e-gates in the arrival area will bring down immigration time to as fast as 20 seconds.

“Passengers can now clear in as little as 20 seconds. Not 20 minutes, 20 seconds — with further improvements expected as the system continues to learn and begins to stabilize,” he said.

The launch comes as the Department of Tourism (DoT) on Monday reported a 2.16% decline in the country’s visitor’s arrival for the year.

Dubbed as the world’s worst airport in 2024 by Australian firm Compare the Market, the government has since partnered with private operator New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) to develop the country’s busiest airport.

Angelito A. Alvarez, general manager of NNIC, said there will be a phased rollout of the use of e-gates for departures.

In two to three weeks’ time, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can start using the new service, but the general Filipino public will have to wait until the first quarter of 2026 for a full rollout.

He said this is due to strict border control following reports of human trafficking and other forms of illegal work.

“For the time being, we’re focusing first on OFWs because many systems are linked to their system to ensure there are checks and balances,” he told reporters in Filipino. 

The President also unveiled the Tambayan food hall, Mezzanine food hall and Dignitaries Lounge.

The Tambayan food hall consists of homegrown food and beverage brands, with about 50-70 concessionaires. It will accommodate about 2,000 people.

The Mezzanine food hall has 17 commercial establishments, including international brands. It can accommodate about 600 customers; while the Dignitaries Lounge can accommodate about 60 people. The launch is timed as the country prepares to host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.

Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina G. Frasco said the negative perceptions stemming from botched public infrastructure projects may be weighing travel confidence, underscoring the government’s push to restore the country’s image among visitors.

She made the remarks when asked whether flawed public works — including flood control projects — had contributed to a drop in tourism this year.

She said any adverse view of the Philippines can have a ripple effect on visitor sentiment, even if the issues are not directly tied to tourism facilities.

“Any negative perception of the Philippines has a tendency to affect travel confidence,” she told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the launch, adding the DoT is focused on countering such views by highlighting new programs aimed at improving the visitor experience and demonstrating greater care for tourists.

She remained optimistic the new facilities in NAIA would bring in more tourists. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana