There was widespread outcry when the Leasing and Commercial Affairs department of the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) memo to “all concerned” came out. “In accordance with the MIAA Revised Administrative Order 001, Series of 2004 (actually should have been 2024),” the San Miguel Corporation-controlled entity – tasked to work on the facelift of the country’s airport over a 15-year period – levied massive hikes on fees for those deigning to park at a terminal.
The fee is now P50 for the first two hours and P25 for each (or fraction of an) hour thereafter – up from P40 pesos for the first three hours and P15 pesos for every succeeding hour. For overnight four-wheeled parkers, the rate has quadrupled from P300 to P1,200. Motorcycle riders who want park overnight will be docked a hefty P480; for buses, it’s P2,400 a night.
NNIC just yesterday said in a press statement that the rate changes “aim to optimize parking facilities by prioritizing parking for passengers,” adding that the adjustments are the “first in over a decade.”
The release maintained that “previous parking rates unintentionally encouraged misuse of the airport’s limited parking spaces.” In practice, people without “airport-related business” were “taking advantage of the low rates for overnight or long-term parking,” leading to a “shortage for actual passengers, adding to congestion and frustration.” Thus, the new schedule of fees are meant to discourage “non-travelers” from using the facility. With this, NNIC envisions a decline in the “number of vehicles circling the airport to search for spaces, easing traffic flow and improving the overall airport experience.” NNIC also reported that “some existing fixed-rate monthly parking agreements will not be renewed to free up more parking spaces for passengers.”
Finally, the firm said that the move is meant to “improve efficiency,” helping “NNIC better manage the limited parking resources and ensure that spaces are available for those who truly need them – passengers and airport users.”
The memo explained: “These adjustments are necessary to ensure continued maintenance and improvements to our facilities. We appreciate your understanding and support as we implement these changes.” But NNIC’s more recent statement actually corrects the aforementioned declaration which made it appear that, yes, we’re effectively footing the bill.
NNIC declared: “The adjustments are not intended to generate profit… The goal is to optimize parking for our passengers. While the previous rates may have been convenient for some, they created significant disadvantages for travelers. We believe these changes will create a more efficient and passenger-friendly airport experience.”
Don’t get me wrong: It’s not hard to get behind the idea of improving our airport and its terminals. Who wouldn’t want that? In fact, it has been a long time coming for travelers local and domestic. What is hard to swallow though is being made to fork out what many believe to be an excessive sum. While I understand the desire to weed out abusers, this is tantamount to using a serrated kitchen knife where a more precise surgical tool is needed. This will penalize the abusers, but it will discourage the legit users as well.
Understandably, on Facebook not a few mentioned how it’s time to re-examine the Park ‘N Fly offsite, third-party facility for travelers who want to drive themselves to the airport and leave their vehicles – foregoing the already stressed (and stressful) parking facilities therein. After parking, the renters will be shuttled to and from the terminal for free. The fee, for a minimum of 24 hours, is P531.25 (plus VAT) – yup, way less than the P1,200 that NNIC wants to charge overnight parkers of four-wheelers. And no, I’m not even suggesting that you patronize this establishment. I’m just putting this in for comparison. But you get the point; we all get the point.
I suspect that many people who want to save on, say, a Grab or a cab ride to and from their homes or offices are the ones who choose to leave their vehicles at the airport parking facilities. I know of a couple of media practitioners who do just that, particularly if a work trip is just several days long. But now, these travelers are surely recalculating whether or not it’s a more feasible, affordable option to take public transportation to get to and from the airport.
Motorists and establishments (mainly malls, hotels, and such) have traditionally had a tacit understanding on what constituted a “comfortable” fee to charge them. We can reasonably expect expensive parking for high-end establishments or in cities where the rent is high and parking spots are scarce. If there are other options, and the location isn’t that prime then there’s a good chance the rates are more affordable. The exception seems to be entertainment venues where there are casinos, in which case parking is usually complimentary. Still, there is not much pushback when the establishments are private in nature, and we have a choice whether or not to patronize them. I believe that overnight parking should be penalized in malls, for instance, but not in airports.
Maybe the NNIC can make sure that overnight/multi-day parkers are legit ones by asking them to present their e-ticket, suggested our motoring editor.
Come to think of it, many of us are actually very adept at workarounds to minimize parking spend. For instance, before the first three hours expire, many employees parking in malls would go down to their vehicles, exit, and reenter – thus resetting the clock on their parking.
However, there are no workarounds in our airport terminals – unless you want to be caught in gridlock. And there is such a glaring, legendary disconnect in service quality and experience – or lack thereof – that one can’t help but feel cheated. And after all, that parking facility is essentially an adjunct to our right to travel, right?
While I can support and understand NNIC’s vision to “providing a seamless and positive travel experience at NAIA” and laud its promise to “increase parking capacity by building new facilities, starting with Terminal 3, which currently accommodates 65,000 to 68,000 passengers daily,” I appeal for a little more understanding on the plight of our many travelers who simply want to use their vehicles and have a ready and reasonably priced option to park.
I respectfully disagree with the point that the new rates will “reduce the number of vehicles circling the airport to search for spaces, easing traffic flow and improving the overall airport experience.”
Notice the number of cars in the roads leading up to the airport terminals? They, of course, are the motorists who refuse to pay for parking and instead wait for passengers they will fetch to be at the arrival bay before making a beeline for pickup area. It’s easy to predict that with this spike in parking fees, that queue of vehicles will grow longer – further adding to the bottleneck and people’s wait times.
What about the family members of our OFWs from provinces who just want to show their support and love for them by taking them to, or fetching them from, the airport? Instead of spending their hard-earned money on food (not to mention fuel), they’ll have to stretch the budget on parking – ever aware of the time they spend waiting or they’ll be charged more. Imagine an OFW with no assurance he or she will be back in the Philippines soon. Aside from the anxiety of leaving home, something that’s supposed to be relatively insignificant (parking) should be on the consideration list as he or she waves a tearful goodbye to loved ones – maximizing each hour, each minute, each second spent with them.
And for those who want to dispense with bringing private vehicles will be at the mercy of public transportation and its inconveniences – the kotrata-happy cabs, equally exorbitantly priced airport transport, and the sometimes unpredictable availability of TNVS (transport network vehicle services) units.
Notice the number of cars in the roads leading up to the airport terminals? They, of course, are the motorists who refuse to pay for parking and instead wait for passengers they will fetch to be at the arrival bay before making a beeline for pickup area. It’s easy to predict that with this spike in parking fees, that queue of vehicles will grow longer – further adding to the bottleneck and people’s wait times.
And what about the family members of our OFWs from the provinces who just want to show their support and love for them by taking them to, or fetching them from, the airport? Instead of spending their hard-earned money on food (not to mention fuel), they’ll have to stretch the budget on parking – ever aware of the time they spend waiting or they’ll be charged more. Imagine an OFW with no assurance he or she will be back in the Philippines soon. Aside from the anxiety of leaving home, something that’s supposed to be relatively insignificant (parking) should be on the consideration list as he or she waves a tearful goodbye to loved ones – maximizing each hour, each minute, each second spent with them.
And for those who want to dispense with bringing private vehicles will be at the mercy of public transportation and its inconveniences – the kotrata-happy cabs, equally exorbitantly priced airport transport, and the sometimes unpredictable availability of TNVS (transport network vehicle services) units.
At the end of the day, maybe the fees can be hiked gradually – as the optics of our currently miserable facilities become more appetizing – so that we see what we are actually paying for, and the rates feel neither forced nor unfair.
