AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee has proposed that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and all airports in the country establish direct connections to power plants to reduce power costs instead of relying on the service of a utility provider.
At a hearing of the House Committee on Transportation’s ongoing inquiry into the power shutdown incident that caused flight cancellations at NAIA on May 1, the lawmaker pointed out that directly connecting airports to power plants would be “a lot cheaper” for the government.
On May 22, Lee filed House Resolution No. 1007 urging the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to engage and enter a special service contract that takes into consideration the technical requirements of NAIA operations and maintenance and ensure that the same is replicated in all airports and their respective energy suppliers across the country.
“Hindi ba dapat tingnan natin na direct connection na lang lahat ang ating mga airports, kasi ang laki ng matitipid dito. If we’re talking of 40% of P40 million per month electricity bill of NAIA Terminal 3, it’s about 16 million every month,” Lee said.
“Kapag pinagsama-sama natin ang lahat ng airports sa Pilipinas, napakalaking tipid po nito.”
The lawmaker from Bicol said that the financial resources that can be saved by the government can be used for other public services that require urgent funding.
According to Lee, “hindi po unlimited ang pera ng gobyerno. Ito po ay buwis na pinaghihirapan ng taumbayan na dapat ding bumalik sa kanila bilang benepisyo.”
“Kaya dapat ma-consider ng gobyerno itong mungkahi natin na direct connection ng airports. Winner Tayo Lahat sa laki ng matitipid dito na pwede nating magamit sa iba pang social services,” he stressed.
“Isang paraan ito para mapagaan ng gobyerno ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan. Bawat piso na matitipid natin dito, piso po ito na mapupunta sa ating mga health care services na kailangang-kailangan ng pondo, sa ating mga kababayan na walang bahay, sa ating mga magsasaka na food producer pero hindi makabili ng kanilang pagkain,” added the legislator.
On May 22, Lee filed House Resolution No. 1007 urging the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to engage and enter a special service contract that takes into consideration the technical requirements of NAIA operations and maintenance and ensure that the same is replicated in all airports and their respective energy suppliers across the country.
“NAIA terminals must not only be regarded as a regular business customer of Meralco but also be prioritized along with its technological needs and requirements given the highly particular technical requirements and maintenance through a ‘special service contract,'” Lee noted.
“Habang wala pa ang itinutulak natin na direct connection, maiging pumasok tayo sa isang kasunduan kung saan ang mga utility provider ang sisiguro sa kinakailangang maintenance ng ating mga airport, imbes na maging dagdag na gastos pa ng gobyerno. Karapatan ito ng NAIA bilang isang big load consumer na malaki ang binabayaran sa kuryente.”
“Hindi po natin dapat hayaan ang mga airports natin all over the country na laging may problema sa operations at mag-cancel ng mga flight. Hindi lang po image natin ang apektado dito, kundi pati ang kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan, ang turismo at mga negosyong nagbibigay ng trabaho sa Pilipino, at sa pangkalahatan, ang ating ekonomiya,” the solon added.
