CLARK FREEPORT –– The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) management has cancelled bidding for the P486.6-million installation of a wireless closed circuit television (CCTV) system to give way to a proposal for a more costly “antiquated” wire-based system pushed by a minor official of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
A notice of cancellation of bidding dated last April 4 was issued by retired Maj. Gen. Vicente Guerzon Jr., chair of the NAIA Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to 32 interested bidders for the project.
The cancellation was reportedly based on another memorandum issued by one Arnold Balucating, officer-in-charge of CAAP’s Air Navigation Services who recommended the use of wired interconnection system instead of the original combination of fiber-optic cable and wireless connection.
One bidder from Central Luzon, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, described Baculating’s proposal as “absurd” as he noted that “almost all the airports in the western world use wireless CCTV security system.”
“Even Israel uses this (wireless) technology not only in its airport but also in its defense aerodome,” said the bidder who cited reports that NAIA is now planning to redesign the project based on Baculating’s proposal.
The source also said “no one in his right mind would use wired radio frequency for the NAIA CCTV which can be affected by cross over radio waves. NAIA is an international airport, not an amateur radio broadcasting facility.”
He also noted that the use and regulation of radio frequencies belong to the domain of the National Telecommunications Council, and not the CAAP. “What we cannot understand also is why NAIA gave importance to CAAP’s old-fashioned and more expensive proposal.
We now live in the wireless age of telephones, appliances, cars and even war equipment run via wireless radio frequency,” he noted. The source also said that CAAP’s proposal would cost more as the installation of wires would require digging up and re-cementing structures that will affect NAIA operations.
He also junked the contention that wireless systems would disrupt airport operations, as he pointed out that NAIA has been using “microwave link” in its telephone system for years now. Another bidder also said he was puzzled as to why Baculating’s memorandum was directly endorsed to NAIA by CAAP chief financial officer retired Brig. Gen. Rodante Joya and apparently bypassed CAAP director general retired Lt. Gen William Hotchkiss III.
“And why did the chairman of the NAIA bids and awards committee entertain such memo?” the bidder also asked.
