Philippines Scores Another First: NAIA Now Officially the Worst Airport in the World

Hard on the heels of a thoroughly uncomplimentary review of Manila (interesting fact: it’s a dump) by regular visitor Geoffrey James on Travelblog.org, Filipinos have a new reason to feel persecuted with the announcement that NAIA was rated the Worst Airport in the World by the Guide to Sleeping in Airports website. The rating is based on votes of visitors to the website, traveler’s reviews submitted over the previous year, and information provided by airports about their facilities and services. Technically the ranking only applies to Terminal 1, but considering that nearly all foreign visitors are forced to arrive and depart the country through this hellish choke point the assessment and the scathing accompanying comments might as well apply to the whole airport. The Guide does point out that Terminal 3 is much newer, but also links to a recent news story of an engineering report which deemed that building to be ‘structurally flawed’.

If you don’t wish to wade through page after page of comments (and there are A LOT of comments) from visitors to the airport, the Guide summarizes the main points made by most of them:

  • Unfriendly, corrupt staff.
  • Bathrooms are a mess
  • Corruption, bribery, scams run rampant here.
  • Keep your bags close and always have your eyes on them. Don’t get distracted!
  • Terminal 1 is in BAD shape. Crowded — Dirty — Limited seating — Toilets are a disaster!

Although there are a few compliments from people who have traveled through Terminal 2 (or found that secret hidden lounge upstairs in Terminal 1, which is pretty nice), the majority of the visitor comments typically sound like this one:

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“…It has to be experienced to be believed. Think of a bombed out ruin and you’ll get some idea. It’s like a cattle yard only worse. Toilets filthy. No seating once you get thru customs (maybe 40 seats for a thousand passengers)….This airport is a joke. Filthy, smelly with virtually no facilities whatsoever. With everyone who leaves the joint being ripped off for 750 pesos local bucks departure tax (around 20 Australian), we deserve better. Shame on the government there. A place to be avoided.”

Of course, none of this is news to anyone who has had the misfortune of passing through NAIA, and not even the local propaganda machines could avoid reporting the substance of the story. But in a completely predictable, passive-aggressive way they still managed to make the point that the criticism is unjustified, sometimes tripping over each other in the process – a few hours after the Inquirer quoted NAIA-1 Manager Dante Basanta explaining that several rest rooms had already been renovated and that “We’re also improving water services; the replacement of old pipes is ongoing,” ABS-CBN posted a story following an interview with MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado and reported:

“Honrado admitted that lack of space constrain authorities from giving the airport toilets a modern look. ‘The challenge is space eh,’ he said.

He, however, denied complaints that the rest rooms have no toilet paper and no running water.

‘I have to deny the report na walang water at toilet paper dyan. Yung water, we have high water pressure,’ he stressed.”

And just as an aside, one has to wonder who Honrado and ABS-CBN were trying to convince, exactly, since his comments were quoted in untranslated Tagalog.

Just as with the public reaction to the stinging rebuke from Geoffrey James, the Philippines is once again demonstrating its awesome talent for missing the point of outsiders’ criticism. These are not abstract and debatable insults like, “Filipinas are easy,” or “All Filipinos are scam artists.” No matter who you are, your self-image is only relevant to you; it does not become the default image that the rest of the world should be presumed to have. Printing a rebuttal in Tagalog to a poor review of the country’s only INTERNATIONAL gateway of any consequence is the most sublime example of this willful refusal to be judged by any standards other than the ankle-high ones Filipinos set for themselves that I think I’ve ever seen. And no matter how many toilets they fix or how many ill-mannered thieves they ferret out at NAIA, as long as that attitude persists that airport, this city, and large parts of this entire country are going to be continued to be regarded as a dump and an experience best avoided at all costs.

 

134 Replies to “Philippines Scores Another First: NAIA Now Officially the Worst Airport in the World”

  1. KASALANAN ITO NI GMA! PINABAYAAN NA ANG LAHAT! NAKATUTOK LANG PALAGI SA MGA NINANAKAW NYANG PERA. AYAN WORSE NA TAYO SA BU0NG MUNDO! MAMATAY KA NA

    1. It’s true, isn’t it! When I fall flat on my face because I was texting and didn’t look at where I was going, and my cellphone suddenly flew from my hand and went right into the sewer, it’s all her fault! When I lose in lotto, it’s her fault! You can blame her for everything! Wow.

      1. Nagpagawa ka ng bahay mo worth P1million. Wala kang alam sa mga bahay, ang siningil sayo P3million, yung P2million ibibili mo pa sana ng auto at gamit, payag ka? Ganyan kawalang hiya si Gloria.

    2. Blaming the past admin again?!?

      If the AbNoy admin can’t do anything right but blame the old admin for everything, might as well step down and pass it on to someone who can handle it.

      Hamak na mas grabe na problema ng pilipinas ngayon dahil dyan sa administrasyong Aquino! Sinabi na ngang alang mapapala dito kay AbNoy.

      1. @Ihatebeingpinoy

        Yeh F*** you very much FELIPE. You will be in jail next to your beloved GMA.

        Dream on and troll harder!

        You may imprison everyone you hate, but you cannot imprison free minds like mine who can tell truth apart from your yellow propaganda, unlike the yellow supporters who are already imprisoned by their ignorance and stupidity to the point of dragging the whole country down even more!

        I don’t care squat about what happens to GMA, but it’s getting pretty clear that the Aquino admin’s only solution to its own shortcomings is to blame the past admin instead of a solution that actually works. This is what you get from a kind a leadership void of any real vision for the country!–backward instead of forward-looking.

        Other far more competent and deserving politicians, if given the chance, could nail our country’s problems down–These are the people who should be given jobs. They constantly dream and plan on how to genuinely improve the Philippines while AbNoy dreams on how to get his next date, next cool car, or how to score higher in his next video game or shooting session–wow…how they just love to burn our taxpayers’ money!

        1. Vincenzo’s got a new name. From being “proud” to hating being Pinoy! Ganyan ang Aquino supporter. Inconsistent talaga. 😉

      2. True. Sending GMA to jail shouldn’t be the only metric for this administration. Was that what you meant?

        If he can’t hack it, pass it to Jejemon Binay? Nyay!

        I’m not a big fan of GMA myself. I don’t like PNoy either. Behind the facade that is Makati, I am not too sure about the dark one.

        It’s actually pointless to say that “mas grabe na problema ng Pilipinas ngayon.” Bottom line is we’re still in trouble.

      1. Pinabayaan ni Gloria eh,minana lang ng kasalukuyan, dinamay pa ang pangalan ng ating bayani na si Ninoy. Bwicit na Gloria yan

      2. That airport is 30 years old, and one of the commenters on the website said that he’s passed through on a regular basis for 26 of those, and has seen no improvement from his first visit to his most recent. So unless GMA is somehow so evil that she can retroactively ruin things, I don’t think it’s her fault. Call me crazy, but I think the fact that the airport and terminal GMs are giving conflicting comments about the same issue to two different news outlets (GMs who got their jobs thanks to Ignoy getting elected, btw) is a better clue to the basic dysfunction we’re dealing with here.

      3. NAIA – Ninoy AQUINO International airport. Remember and emphasize on the AQUINO name. Worst airport around the world. Emphasize on the name again.

        The name says it all. Worse. Unprogressive. Filthy.

        Even after 30+ years, after so many presidents have passed, that airport is going further down the drain (or it’s already there). Remember the name: AQUINO.

        Hmp!

      1. Mabait pa rin si Tito Noy na ipinagpatuloy ang peace talks tungkol sa mga rebelde. MaBuhay ka. Unlike GMA, puro kudeta nagaganap dati

      2. @Vincenzo B. Arellano

        Mabait pa rin si Tito Noy na ipinagpatuloy ang peace talks tungkol sa mga rebelde. MaBuhay ka. Unlike GMA, puro kudeta nagaganap dati

        Si t-i-t-i AbNoy mo kinakampihan pa yun mga pumaslang sa ating mga sundalo.

        Instead of being a source of encouragement to the military and consolation to their respective families, AbNoy demoralizes our own armed forces who had just been massacred in spite of the peace-talks, while he uplifts the morale of the MILF/Abu-Sayyaf group responsible for this heinous act (You really think these rebels intend to play fair?) The people should support the military if they decide to have a coup d’etat–tulad ng panahon ng nanay nyang si Cory (mas maraming coups kaysa kay GMA!).

        Yang mga manipulated SWS ratings na yan ginagamit lang ng media to discourage any uprising against AbNoy’s regime by making it appear that he’s still popular, habang pahirap-ng-pahirap naman ang buhay sa Pilipinas.

      3. Update:

        After hearing bad feedback, AbNoy realizes his mistake and listens to some adviser–AbNoy now tries to do some damage control by pretending to praise the military and pursuing the rebels. He does a compromise by making a distinction between the MILF and this supposedly renegade group.

        Bulok na style mo AbNoy! Inumin mo nalang yun Buking Juice mo!

      4. Vincenzong Sinungaling:

        That’s only the Oakwood Mutiny orchestrated by the idiot named Antonio Trillanes IV.

        Eh si Cory? DAMI!

    3. kasi!!! yong ibang mga tao walang displina sa sarili!!! dapat lng na tawaging worst airport!!! para naman mataohan ang mga namahahla sa naia!! damak kasi yong ibang pinoy!! walang disiplina!!! worst airport talaga!!

    4. oo nga dapat firing squad yang si gloria pero teka dalawang taon na higit nakaupo si noynoy di parin napapaayos yan nakauwi na ako ng pinas at nakaalis para paring fishfort yan ito talagang si noynoy parang si cory anim na taon binabantayan presyo ng galonggong sa palengke dapat palitan na ng pangalan yang airport ferdinand marcos baka mas gumanda pa

      1. At hindi kami manonood ng propaganda and biased news channels like ABS-CBN.

        Manonood kami sa mga UNBIASED tulad ng GMA. ULOL! 😛

      2. “Nabobo ka lang kaya wala ka msbi matino.”

        I think it talks about more than YOU. You’re always clinging on Yellow Propaganda. LAWL

  2. kaya nakakatakot umuwi ng pilipinas ngayung peak season eh…sa airport pa lang, ubos na ang iyong [insert any foreign currency here]. pustahan hindi ito nakabalita sa local stations tapos, mag-susugarcoat na naman ang gobyerno. Sorry, panis na ang sugar nyo, mga tsong :p

    holy shape shift sh*t is happening to our home country right now!

      1. mas natakot tuloy akong umuwi sa mga sinabi mo. Nawalan tuloy ako ng ganang umuwi dahil sa iyo lolz :p

        I would say if one of my other ethnic friends wants to go to the philippines, let me be their guide and avoid those MFing useless payments.

      2. Almost 2 years later and vincenzo has been proven wrong…AGAIN.
        This guy really is a stupid sack of shit.
        He makes no sense, arguments are weak as hell
        Is this guy for real???

  3. the worlds worst airport
    manila a cess pit
    the worlds worst president
    hustlers and hookers everywhere

    as easy to sell as chickenjoy!

      1. LOL. Exactly!

        For this case, I think there’s “some” merit in blaming the GMA admin. 9 ‘effin years and they did nothing about it? Come on. All of the news about a vibrant economy back then and she didn’t do squat about the stinkin’ airport?

        My take: if they’re not going to fix it, demolish it.

        Seriously, if they can fix this airport or build a new one, there’s a wealth of PR possibilities that can come out of it. A turnaround story is always great.

      2. Okay, but the fact that GMA didn’t do anything about it doesn’t give Ignoy license to just blame it on her and not do anything about it himself.

      3. BenK,

        Exactly. If you’re in the top leadership spot and you’ve done nothing but play the blame game, it shows a lot about your leadership skills. Consistently blaming GMA for everything is one thing. Doing something about the mess she left is another.

        As president, he should be seen as driving results.

  4. I posted this in another Pinoy online forum and I think this needs to be reiterated…

    “What needs to be done NOW is to refurbish and rehabilitate the airport by different stages/phases similar to what have been done to London Heathrow, so as to have a more modern efficient airport.

    But personally, I would not rather go with this route and prefer to have a new airport outside Metro Manila (heck, technically outside Luzon) so as to adopt to the future development. An airport in a densely populated and developed area will be an aviation transportation & security nightmare waiting to happen, hence the old HK airport from Kowloon was moved to Chek lap Kok island. My proposed solution is to built an artificial island through reclamation several kilometers west of Manila, approximately at the center of Manila Bay to be connected via underground tunnel to Metro Manila’s major transportation hubs (provincial railway stations, LRT/MRT stations, bus stations, ports, NLEX/SLEX connector roads, etc.). The reclaimed materials will be coming from:

    a.) dredged silts of the PASAMAR river systems (Pasig, San Juan, & Marikina), NMTT River systems (Navotas-Malabon-Tenejeros-Tullahan), Paranaque River and their tributaries and its esteros ==>Metro Manila’s natural waterways;

    b.) dredged materials from Laguna Lake

    c.) dredged silts of Bulacan river delta & riversystems and its tributaries (marilao-meycauayan-Obando river, Calumpit river, Angat river)

    d.) dredged silts and lahar of Pampanga river delta

    e.) treated waste materials from dumpsites and landfills of metropolis and provinces adjacent Manila Bay (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Pampanga, Bataan).

    Besides addressing the inefficient domestic (yes, including the domestic) and NAIA terminals (yes, including T2 & T3) as country’s premier air transportation hubs, the proposed solution also addresses the following major issues:

    1.) Flooding

    – By doing (a), you are thereby clearing and increasing the capacity & efficiency of Metro Manila’s natural waterways thus a more flood-resilient Metro Manila

    – By doing (b), you are increasing the carrying capacity thus increasing the flood resiliency of Rizal & Laguna municipalities surrounding Laguna Lake.

    – By doing (c) & (d), you are increasing the flood resiliency of Pampanga & Bulacan provinces thus never again ‘Pedring’ & ‘Quiel’ devastation

    2.) Traffic

    – By removing the airport in the middle of densely populated metropolis, you are decongesting Metro Manila’s traffic problem. A freeway/expressway, even a railway traversing the heart of Metro Manila is now more feasible by removing/rerouting the unnecessary road networks that used to be the ‘arteries’ of the road network system to-and-fro both the international & domestic airports. The tunnel from airport to major transportation hubs further increases the efficiency to regional movement.

    – By doing (a), (b), (c), and (d),preferably up to navigable depths, you are providing an alternative mode of transportation – water transportation. This is particularly important to local/domestic tanker and cargo barges/ships because increasing their traffic volume, number and distance of routes means reduction of traditional land-based movement of goods by cargo/haul and tanker trucks in our roads.

    3.) Waste management

    – By doing (e), you are increasing the capacities (and even maybe reopening) of existing landfills thus no need for new land fills. By removing the contents of existing fills, you are increasing the buffer capacity for waste disposal for future generations. Also, by removing and rehabilitating existing land fills, these landfills can be utilised to produce electricity by building and installing a waste-to-power generation plant = a more sustainable approach to waste management.

    4.) Increased Biodiversity
    – By doing (a), (b), (c), and (d), you are potentially reviving the river ecosystem thus attracting different river/estuarine life and migratory birds.

    5.) Urban Redevelopment

    – Removing the airports will also remove the restriction of erecting tall buildings. Currently, building in Metro Manila are restricted to build up to 250 m (even lower as you go near the airport) due to air traffic requirement from Civil Aviation Authority. Without height restrictions, we can now build taller buildings thus a more efficient use of space.

    – The area occupied by the airports is prime real estate thus it can be sold to private developers. The income generated from this WILL be used to fund the development of the new airport in an artificial island in Manila Bay

    – Or use the space to develop worthy of hosting an Olympic event!

    6.) Enhanced economic activity

    – By addressing the issue on traffic and efficient logistics of goods and people, you are increasing the economic activities.

    – Having an urban re-develoment will trigger the influx of money to real estate and construction industry and other spillover industries thus providing jobs and an increase in economic activity in the region.”

    1. I’m sure we could nitpick that idea to death on details, but I like it. Sure, why not? It would be good for this society for once in its entire existence to embark on an audaciously huge project.

  5. I once took a crap in NAIA, it was one of my most horrible experiences. First off I had to go really bad. Second all the toilets were filled with poo poo already, so i randomly chose one to poo on. Theres no running water and no toilet paper and they had a lil bucket and tabo to wash your ass with. Since there is no running water no one can flush their poo, and the whole bathroom is just disgusting. I hovered my puwet over the toilet because there are no toilet seats (YUK!). It was very uncomfortable, i can and probably will never forget my toilet adventure in NAIA. After a 2 hour flight I was in heavenly Narita Airport, clean, high tech, beautiful girls, it was just heaven.

    1. When was this? I don’t recall it being that bad when I departed through NAIA in July.

      On the other hand, that was probably because they had to lead me down a maze of hallways to a restroom near the back of the airport where they store the directional signage. On a more fortunate note though, I didn’t have to bribe anyone.

    1. Binay is a hoodlum, and I don’t think there’s enough hookers on the planet to hire as pabaon for crooked officials to get any contract approved if he was allowed to operate on a national scale.

      1. how true.
        binay is corruption personified and not someone to meet on a dark night – apart from the fact that you couldnt see him.
        his backhanders in makati was not only blatant but drove decent businesses away. i relocated my business to singapore

      2. Put Binay somewhere without a huge economy already in place, and you wouldn’t be able to tell him from the any average cheapjack barangay captain.

    1. How can you tell when someone is getting desperate? When he resorts to using foul language. Ganyan ang mga fans ng mga Aquino.

      1. someone January 23, 2009 Did you base number 8 eletriny on that Yahoo! Answers thing? Because Yahoo! Answers is clogged with the stupidest people capable of using the internet.Some memorable questions include How do I scan a mirror and use it as my background , Where can I find scuba-diving equipment for my horse and I heard on TV that there’s a war in Georgia, when do we evacuate (The person lived in the state Georgia of the US, the war was in the country Georgia halfway across the world.) It’s also likely that a lot of the people there are being asses on purpose.Yeah, this post’s main purpose was just to rant on Yahoo! Answers ) But I think our reputation is more on being ignorant and too prideful. Not to mention kurakot.

  6. The worlds worst..
    Corrupt president – marcos
    Narcissistic president – arroyo
    Laziest president – aquino
    Dumbest future president – pacquaio.

    A pattern here

    The worlds most stupid electorate – phillipines

    1. Actually, the pattern is this:

      Dictator > Dictator replacement > Dictator replacement upgrade > so-so > (feeling ng tao) Dictator > (feeling ng tao) Dictator replacement

      By what that pattern suggests, it points that we’ll have a marginally better president than PNoy in the next elections. Pacquiao or even Willie can come in around 2022. Whatevs.

      1. it is very clear now
        the lunatics have taken over the asylum
        headed by crazyboy noy

        call in the psychiatrists

        a leopard doesnt change its spots
        and a sloth will never have any get up and go.

    2. Tito Noy is not lazy, you have no basis for such things. And let us give Ninong Manny a chance, remember he wearing yellow gloves? He wants to fight poverty in the country.

      1. @Vincenzo: Tell your Tito Noy, to give his Hacienda Luisita to his tenants-serfs-slaves. With this action: he will fight poverty. His tenants-serfs-slaves, will produce more rice and food. If they own the land they till. Besides, your Tito Noy is already swimming with wealth, due to Kurakot…marami siyang naporsiento sa mga projects; aside from the un-audited funds he has in his disposal…

      2. And we got baseless things from your Yellow Propaganda.

        And yes, if Manny Pacquiao will be president, this country will go into the hellhole. Deal with it.

      3. Manny ‘no more money’ pacquaio.
        What a role-model!
        Wife-cheating
        Mistresses and illegitimate children
        Absentee congressman
        Gambling addict
        Cock-fighting
        No education or interest in learning
        Selfish and greedy – just like all presidents i guess
        No financial management – had to borrow to pay his tax bill this year and get advance on nov fight to pay for his forbes park house
        Being sued by his accountants – visionqwest for 50 mill pesos
        Just the sort of person to run the economy.
        And dont forget all the gifts and cars he bought for local mayors which is why he got elected eventually.
        Buy it with money because you cant win with brains.
        With advisor like singson no surprise.

      4. Tito Noy is no longer in Hacienda Luisita and besides, ibebenta din nila yan kasi hnd mapapamahalaan ng mga magsasaka.

      5. Mas maraming chismis sa iyo because yours is more farts and less substance.

        BTW, iboboto ba siya dahil sa tumulong siya? Sorry but that is NOT what a president is all about. It’s all about one who has honor and wisdom and not basing on popularity.

        Manny, you being Congressman is very much like an Angel getting lost in our hellish and infernal government. The power of Satan and his army of devils is too overwhelming so don’t waste your time. Get out of Congress. But I think it’s too late. Now you’re Michael Corleone of the Godfather…

        “JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OUT, THEY PULL ME BACK IN”

        So welcome to the Filipino jungle book of tribal mafias controlling the gullible monkeys.

    3. Pero kung titingnan mo…Pacquiao does not typically possess Filipino traits…hindi naman siya magiging 7-division title holder kung hindi siya yung tipong pursigidong maging successful and most of all, disciplined…if Pacquiao would run for president…I would vote for him…kung yung mga tatakbo rin lang naman ay puro mga trapo o yung anak ng mga trapo…I am not a hard-core Pacquiao fan…kaso bff sila ni Chavit…wag na rin lang pala…tulog na lang ako sa eleksyion… 🙂

      1. There were 19 Filipino soldiers killed recently with clash with the MILF. Send Lt. Col. Pacquiao, and his Boxing Brigade to fight the MILF…are we in the Noynoy Aquino’s Wonderland? I’m very sure: I’m not Alice, nor the Mad Hatter, nor the Cheshire Cat…OMG…

        1. After Noynoy’s supporters did their best to badmouth Manny Villar, you are now saying you would vote for him? Naks naman. INCONSISTENT!

      2. Hyden, they don’t need to send Pacman Boxing Brigade.

        Send in the (KK) K-team:

        Rambo Llamas, Pistol Puno and .38 Torres.

        As insurance, maybe Lacierda can talk the MILF into committing suicide. Carandang can live blog about it using his Mac.

  7. I think all of the things said to describe the current state of NAIA could just as well describe the country as a whole: “Unfriendly, corrupt staff. Bathrooms are a mess. Corruption, bribery, scams run rampant here. Keep your bags close and always have your eyes on them. Don’t get distracted! The Philippines is in BAD shape. Crowded — Dirty — Limited seating — Toilets are a disaster!”.

    It’s just a reflection of the Philippines really.

      1. Sorry, but it didn’t start on GMA. The culture of graft and corruption exists long before GMA.

        Fact is I’m still laughing at your ass sa kabobohan mo. 😛

      2. Ay sus! Akala ko ba it all started with Marcos? Which is which? You are very inconsistent. Para kang robot na nagma-malfunction!

  8. The new Tourism Dept. Chief, recently announced: ” We deserve a visit.” I replied: ” My Ass.” Who will visit a country, with :filty toilets; no toilet papers on toilets; child prostitutes and their “bugaws”, soliciting you; Necklace snatchers abound, ” alaga ng mga Pulis”…
    Maybe, the Tourism Chief is already desensithized. He saw these things are just normal…

  9. I’ve had this notion that the reason that GMA didn’t do anything about it after the Terminal 3 fiasco was because she knew that given how long shit actually takes to get done, it was better building her own airport in Clark anyway so she didn’t have to deal with the stuff already in place apart from the old American hangars.

  10. @arellano
    you exemplify why the country is in a mess and provide a practical example to readers of the filipino mentality and how they would vote for any personality as though it is pilipinas got talent but politicians dont need brains. good man. keep it up.

    and i have met pacquaio on a couple of occasions.
    any topic regarding economics, social issues are met with a grin, a bad joke and an attempt to move the subject to cars! no speechwriter was present.

    1. Nona, why on earth did you even try discussing economics with him? LOL.

      Seriously, the value of Manny is strictly for PR and drawing people in. He’ll be a magnet as long as he keeps winning.

      I was able to attend a fundraiser for Sarangani province last year (in Makati). The team from the DAP was helping him back then. Were you there as well?

  11. I was led to this article from SkyscraperCity, and it’s been a while since I’ve posted in GRP or AP, so hi guys! 😛

    Inasmuch as I agree that NAIA is a bad airport, I disagree that it’s the worst airport. In all my years of travel, I can certainly say that there are airports worse than NAIA: I for one did not appreciate the hassle of having to transit through Bucharest, or the small, dated size of Berlin-Tegel. To me, NAIA is better in those regards. Plus, with the renovations going on, it feels much better than before: I can still remember those god-awful metal seats with the holes! -______-

    Also, to correct some misconceptions: NAIA, or Philippine airports for that matter, is not the only airport that collects terminal fees at the counter. Indonesia and Cambodia do the same as well. And do we see people complaining? Heck, people leaving Jakarta pay more in airport terminal fees than we do!

    I came here because someone who loves posting here claims that defending NAIA is equivalent to embracing the way of the fliptard. I wholeheartedly disagree.

    1. So are you saying that it is somehow okay that NAIA is just a ‘bad’ airport, if it is not actually the ‘worst’? Because defending it on that basis really is pretty fliptarded.

      1. I’m not solely defending it on that basis. I’ve seen worse airports than NAIA, and so from my personal POV I don’t think it’s deserving of the title. Haven’t tried sleeping in NAIA, but I didn’t particularly like sleeping in Bucharest, for example. But the way though that the media has blown this issue up to our faces perpetuates this victim-centered, reactionary mentality which we’re supposed to be eradicating, and that in my opinion is particularly fliptarded.

        I mean NAIA needs improvement. DEFINITELY needs improvement. But it isn’t as bad as some people say it is, at least based on my travels abroad. It’s bad, and it should be better, but is isn’t the worst. And NAIA-1 is even being renovated, with new bathrooms and chairs (which people can actually sleep on) to boot!

        1. In my opinion, if you agree that it “definitely needs improvement”, then the better for the media and netizens to make a big deal of it or in your own words “blow up the issue”. If that is what it takes for our public servants to move their ass, I fully support all the fuss. 😉

      2. I beg to disagree. 😉

        There is photographic evidence of the extent to which NAIA-1 has been renovated. New ceilings, new columns, new carpets, new floors, new chairs, NEW TOILETS (as what everyone on sleepinginairports.net keeps complaining about), and I don’t know how people don’t see that. NAIA was much worse before the renovations started.

        NAIA sure still has a long way to go before it can even think of reaching the caliber of Changi, KLIA, Chep Lap Kok or Suvarnabhumi, but to say that nothing has changed is definitely not looking hard enough at how hard the MIAA has tried to renovate the facility. They’re not done yet, and I hope they get it done soon.

    2. Hi Sky

      In other words, if you were one of the panelists, you would vote for another airport. But let’s put it this way: if there were 4 judges and 3 of them voted NAIA as the worst airport, then the title of “worst airport” would go to NAIA. In short, more people think that NAIA is the worst. It all boils down to their own personal perception and experience I suppose. And we also have to respect the fact that more people agree that it is the worst.

      Good to see you here, btw! 🙂

      1. Good to be here. This is more entertaining than defending using Tagalog/Filipino because I love traveling and I’m an airline, airplane and airport junkie. 😛

        I can only say “to each his own” on opinions with respect to that analogy, but the all-powerful (biased) Philippine media likes sensationalizing things to extremes. I was able to tolerate using a NAIA bathroom, and I never had to deal with kotong customs officers. And I hold two passports at that!

        I’ll gladly wait now for all airlines based in NAIA-1 to move to NAIA-3. 😀

    3. I’d say worst or not, something is still wrong with NAIA, and it needs fixing, whatever the excuse. You pay terminal fees and that’s what you get… then those terminal fees are just ripping you off.

      1. My terminal fees went to visible renovations which are not yet complete. People who use CGK (Jakarta) pay more in terminal fees and their main terminal has been compared by some as being as bad as NAIA-1.

        Yes, it needs fixing, and it may be argued that this can push officials to act, but if they’ve already been acting and people STILL don’t see what they’ve been doing, then what exactly is going through all those people who complain that NAIA is the so-called “worst airport in the world”?

  12. On top of that we lost another major European foreign airlines that regularly land at NAIA. This could create a domino effect from the hotel accommodation, to the restaurants etc.

    AIR FRANCE-KLM, the only European carrier operating in the Philippines, will be phasing out direct Manila-Amsterdam flights due to issues with the country’s taxes.

    http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=Country-to-lose-direct-flights-to-Europe&id=40040

  13. Some say we have become negligent, indifferent because we are like a wounded animal, really hurt by all that has happened to us. This country used to be great, and now it’s a piece of shit. Abandonment of environs and such explains our suicidal tendencies as a society and a people.

  14. TANGINA NYO MGA FEELING MATALINO KEO..SIGE KEO NA PRESIDENTE PAGANDAHIN NYO PILIPINAS HA TANGINA PG HND NYO NAYOS LAHAT NG PROBLEMA MGJA2CKOL AKO AT PU2TOK KO SA BIBIG NYO NG MATAHIMIK KEO PURO KEO SISI AT PGMA2YABANG!

    1. THIS is the very reason why the Philippines can never progress because of people like YOU. Very anti-intellectual to be exact.

      Bravo for your sheer idiocy and ignorance. Well, you just hate SMART people, that’s what. You’re the cancer killing the Philippines. 😛

  15. NAIA 3 is a thieves den. I opened my luggage, just to find half of my things gone, and replaced with other people’s things… If you’ve travelled recently and have things missing.. Email me. I might have your dress, underwear, swimsuit, boots, etc. 🙂

  16. “My terminal fees went to visible renovations which are not yet complete. People who use CGK (Jakarta) pay more in terminal fees and their main terminal has been compared by some as being as bad as NAIA-1.”

    Whoever said this never been to CGK and are very ignorant, Indonesian airport are way better than Filipinos one, airport construction currently booms in Indonesia and is definitely getting better regionally.

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