DENR WANTS BETTER LIVES FOR WASTE PICKERS

By Maricel V. Cruz

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

Secretary Antonia Loyzaga wants to empower waste pickers by improving their livelihood and ensuring their full integration into an evolving solid waste management sector.

Naia Terminal 2 Capacity Seen Reaching 10 Million Per Year

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 can now serve up to 10 million passengers per year after management converted it into an exclusively domestic airport.

“With NAIA Terminal 2 now servicing all domestic flights of Philippine Airlines, AirAsia Philippines, and Royal Air Philippines, it can now accommodate up to 10 million passengers per annum from its design capacity of 7.5 million passengers per year,” said Bryan Co, acting general manager of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Co said the removal of immigration counters and other infrastructure mandated for international flight operations provided the needed space for unham- pered passenger movement inside the terminal.

AirAsia and Royal Air passengers, who account for around 10,000 passengers per day on average, now have more space at Terminal 2.

This change also reduces congestion at Terminal 4 by 75 percent, providing adequate space for CebGo, AirSwift, and Sunlight Air passengers.

Terminal 2 began operations in 1999. It formerly houses both the international and domestic operations of the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL).

MIAA came up with the Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization, or STAR program, aimed at optimizing the capacity of the four NAIA terminals. This program entailed the