The one-month-old terminal of the Mactan Cebu International Airport was touted for being the world’s first resort airport, but people never thought that it would also have its own pool.
On Tuesday, a concerned netizen by the name of Xig Abadilla posted images of some areas at the airport that were left flooded after a heavy downpour. The post prompted the government, as well as its operator GMR-Megawide, to investigate the flooding problem immediately.
Abadilla shared with Coconuts Manila that he was there to accompany his sibling who was flying out of the country when the downpour started at around 5pm.
He said that when he went to the drop-off area, he saw that the flood was ankle-deep, leaving them with no other choice but to wade through the floodwaters to get to the departures area.
Aside from the floor, other areas in the airport were flooded as well. “The link-bridge and [a] few part(s) of the terminal building itself were flooded,” he shared.
He suggested that the floor should be sloped in such a way that the water could be directed to the drains.
Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation said in a Palace briefing yesterday that officials are looking into the incident. Tugade also confirmed in a text message sent to CNN Philippines that the flooding was due to the heavy rain and blocked drainage outside the terminal.
Meanwhile, the official Facebook account of the Mactan Cebu Airport posted a statement from its operator GMR-Megawide.
“We apologize to all passengers for the inconvenience caused by the overflow of rainwater at the departure level link-bridge at MCIA Terminal 2,” the statement reads.
READ: Look: Cebu’s new resort-themed airport terminal is almost complete
It added that it is taking corrective measures to “rectify the situation.”
The company said it might install “exterior blinds” at the link-bridge to prevent water from seeping in. “These solutions will ensure this situation will not happen again,” it added.
“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,” it ended.
The new terminal reportedly cost PHP17.5 billion (about US$330 million), with over 65,500 square meters to accommodate 12.5 million passengers a year.
According to one of its architects, Royal Pineda, the terminal’s architecture was inspired by waves.
In an interview with Coconuts Manila in June, he said: “If you look at it, the roofs are smooth, in terms of the fluidity of the curves.” He described it as an example of “modern Filipino” architecture.
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