Missed flights and traffic gridlock characterized the day as the Edsa- Tramo flyover going to Andrews Ave. leading to NAIA 1,2 and 3 was closed to traffic during rush hour Monday afternoon.
In a tweet, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said a “girder launcher” fell down on five vehicles near the southbound lane of Tramo-Andrews Avenue area in Pasay City at around 3:32 pm on Monday. No one was hurt in the accident but it caused heavy traffic in the area.
Airline passengers going to the three airports missed their flights while those still on their way were advised by MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino to avail of free shuttle services or hitch a ride on MMDA motorcycle constables that could rush them to either NAIA 1,2 or 3.
The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) said God forbids but if a major accident happened in the area, the three NAIA airports will surely be shut down and the government will be left with no alternative unless it acts with dispatch now.
This, even as PGKM Chairman Ruperto Cruz clarified that the advocacy group is opposed to closing NAIA in the long term.
Cruz reiterated that the Clark airport should be maximized to its full potential now since it is operating way below its capacity of handling four million passengers annually.
The CIA has recorded some 800,000 passengers in 2014, down from its peak in 2012 at 1.4 million passengers.
Cruz lambasted retired Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) Executive Vice President Bienvenido Manga who “continues to hang on to his post despite his retireable age” for allegedly doing nothing to make CIA achieve its full potential.
Meanwhile, Dwight Taala, project manager of DCMI which is the construction firm responsible for the accident, said in an interview over dzMM yesterday that airline passengers who missed their flights may file their valid claims for rebooking to his company.
According to reports, Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways had waived their penalties on passengers who missed their flights on Monday due to the accident.
Those who missed their flights were reportedly mostly OFWs coming from central and northern Luzon.
