BIZ BUZZ: Naia e-gates rollout delayed

While San Miguel group-led New Naia Infra Corp. is rushing to execute its master plan to improve operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), all eyes are on the government to deliver its fair share.

For people who travel overseas, whether inbound or outbound, one of the major pain points at Naia is that immigration lines can sometimes go crazy. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has already expanded the pool of immigration officers at Naia, but there’s only so much traffic that human personnel can handle.

READ: BIZ BUZZ: Naia to bid turboprops adieu

Five years ago, the BI started installing e-gates to speed up the immigration arrival clearing process. Earlier this year, plans were announced to procure additional e-gates, with an estimate that by 2026, a total of 43 e-gates would be installed nationwide in a project estimated to cost P1.9 billion. These e-gates are supposed to cut processing time to as low as eight seconds per passenger, comparable with airports in other countries.

But where are the additional e-gates?

“It’s been canceled,” a well-placed industry source told Biz Buzz, referring to the P1.9-billion procurement. “Supposedly, they should have been deployed this December.”

The project is now being recalibrated, but there’s a catch. “We heard that the budget is now five times higher,” the source added.

Instead of December, passengers may have to wait until late 2025 to benefit from these costlier (and hopefully greater in number) e-gates. —Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

Weeding out DA underperformers

Two high-ranking officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) may bid the agency goodbye in the next six months or so … if they don’t step up to the plate.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. revealed that these high-ranking officials are in hot water for “not performing as expected” but stopped short of disclosing their names.

“You have to give them a chance,” he said in an interview. “Kinausap na natin. Hindi naman grabe, parang sanay lang ako sa … (I’ve already talked to them. It’s not that bad. I’m used to…) my expectations are quite high. So, they fell short…”

They would be given one last chance to shape up or ship out.

“Patapos na iyong taon; iyong mga iba mong kailangang tapusin, needed my intervention. Despite my busy, busy schedule, I have to stop other things para tutukan ko at mapa-approve at mapa-pirmahan lahat ng kailangan. Bakit last minute?” (The year is ending; they have a lot of tasks to complete but they need my intervention. Despite my busy, busy schedule, I have to stop other things to focus on them, getting everything approved and signed. Why at the last minute?)” he lamented to reporters.

With the exception of these two officials, he is generally pleased with the dream organization he has assembled to lead the DA. —Jordeene B. Lagare