The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The deadly May 4 crash at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, which claimed two lives and injured four others, has sparked renewed concerns over the airport’s protective bollard system, designed to stop runaway vehicles from reaching secure areas.
The P8-million bollard installation project, completed in 2019, failed to halt the speeding vehicle that smashed into the departure area. This failure has prompted questions about the strength and adequacy of the barriers.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Eric Ines explained in a recent interview with the Philippine News Agency that the bollard project was initiated following international security audits.
In 2017, the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport raised alarms over the absence of “hostile vehicle mitigation measures” at NAIA. These included physical barriers like bollards or concrete planters, which are intended to guard against vehicular attacks, especially critical due to ongoing flights between Manila and London at the time.
Despite the warning, no such safety upgrades were implemented until after a similar audit in 2018 by Australian Homeland Security, which echoed the UK’s concerns across all NAIA terminals.
That same year, Kontrak Enterprises won the bid to install bollards at Terminals 1 through 4. According to Ines, the work was completed between April and July 2019, based on disbursement and completion records, though he no longer has access to the full procurement documents.
He stressed that government procurement decisions are based on more than just the lowest bid, placing equal importance on a contractor’s qualifications and delivery capability.
Following the crash, MIAA’s engineering team, under Assistant Manager Antonio Mendoza, found that the Terminal 1 bollards had not been embedded deep enough to withstand vehicular impact. However, engineers also noted that extending the foundations could have compromised the structural safety of the area beneath.
“There’s no way for me to conduct a crash test now,” Ines admitted. “I also can’t place blame. Many of those involved in the project have either retired or passed on. This went through a proper bidding process, and without proof, I cannot speculate.”
When asked about accountability, Ines refrained from criticizing former MIAA chief Ed Monreal, saying, “I can’t say, ‘It should have been done differently,’ without evidence.”
In response to the tragedy, the airport’s private operator, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), began implementing corrective measures, such as reinforcing the foundations of existing bollards and redesigning the Terminal 1 drop-off lane to a safer parallel configuration.
“They are also evaluating other options to strengthen bollard performance,” Ines noted.
NNIC, in a statement released on May 6, said these measures—along with increased police visibility—are part of a broader initiative to improve protection for passengers, employees, and airport visitors.