Short Tour Around NAIA Terminal 1

Last October, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) made news for being voted as the world's worst airport. The focus of this news is the NAIA Terminal 1, which serves as NAIA's international terminal. Many people complained that NAIA Terminal 1 of lack of comfortable seating, bribery, unclean toilets, poor facilities, rude staffs and other things.

I got the chance to see the condition of NAIA Terminal 1 with my own eyes when I went there for my flight to Australia. What I saw is not encouraging and I agree with some complaints raised against NAIA Terminal 1 last year.
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NAIA Terminal 1

I took a walk around NAIA Terminal 1 while I am waiting for my flight. I can say that the terminal is not terrible when it is compared with other airports in the Philippines. I have seen worse airport at the provinces. However, foreign tourists are not happy with this terminal because they have seen grander airport in other countries.
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Inside NAIA Terminal 1.

My first impression with NAIA Terminal 1 is that it is old, very old. The lighting inside the terminal is dim. Seats inside NAIA Terminal 1 is inadequate and a lot of people had to sit on their carts. I also took a peek at their toilets and I can say that malls have better toilets.
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Passengers have no seat.

NAIA Terminal 1 has few amenities as compared to NAIA Terminal 3. The international terminal has a Duty Free Shop at the top floor but that is all. I think that NAIA Terminal 1 should copy NAIA Terminal 3. The international terminal should lease some space for fast food restaurants so that passengers have something to do while waiting for their flights.

My feet took me outside of NAIA Terminal 1. I reached the waiting area located in front of the terminal building and saw a many people waiting for their balikbayan relatives. Food stalls, which sell cheap foods, and a Jollibee stall are located at the waiting area.
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It is almost time for me to board the plane when I return to NAIA Terminal 1. I believe that the administrators of NAIA has a lot of work to do to improve NAIA Terminal 1. I suggest that they demolish this old terminal and replace it with a modern one. I am sure that foreign tourists and OFWs will like it when they are welcomed by an international terminal that's spacious, clean and has courteous staff.
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My plane to Kuala Lumpur is waiting. I am off! See you in Kuala Lumpur Airport in the next post.

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Little Discoveries Inside NAIA Terminal 3

I usually choose the early flights whenever I travel. The reason for this is that I want to spend maximum time to the places that I will be visiting. The more time that I have means that I have time to roam around.  More time means more travel experiences for me.

So, for my second visit to Cebu I chose a flight around 7 AM so I can reach the Queen City of the South early. The problem with early flights is that I am forced to go to the airport very early. Airlines usually require their passengers to be at the airport two hours before the estimated time of departure (ETD). I am fortunate because I chose to fly with Cebu Pacific and used their Web Check-in that allowed me to go to the NAIA Terminal 3 forty-five minutes before ETD.

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NAIA Terminal 3 is the newest terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and other airlines use this terminal. The old NAIA terminal is currently being used by the Philippine Airlines. I like NAIA Terminal 3 because it is cleaner and better looking than the old terminal. Another plus points for this terminal is it is spacious enough to accommodate the passengers that come and go in NAIA.

I got time to roam around NAIA Terminal 3 before my flight to Cebu City and I saw many interesting things.

 

NAIA Terminal 3 – the Unofficial Hotel

 

Going to NAIA for an early flight is a hassle, especially for those who live in places that are far away for the airport. Because of this, many people choose to go NAIA Terminal 3 the night before their flight and do this:

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If you have an early flight then I suggest that you sleep in NAIA Terminal 3 instead of checking into some hotel. The advantage of this is that all you have to do is to wake up few minutes before your boarding time. There is no need for you to rush from the hotel to the airport. This is also perfect for those who don’t have money for a hotel room. All you have to do is to find an unoccupied floor anywhere in NAIA Terminal 3, place some cloth and use your traveling bag as pillow. Voila! You have an instant “hotel room” right within NAIA Terminal 3. Just make sure that you stick to the wall so that you don’t block the path of other people.

 

NAIA Terminal 3 – the Mini-Mall

 

Passengers got bored when they wait for their flight. That’s why I think it is a good that NAIA Terminal 3 was developed to have a space for stores and food shops. NAIA Terminal 3 is now a mini-mall thanks to the presence of various restaurants like ever-present Jollibee, 7-11, Ministop, Pancake House and Yellow Cab.

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Shopaholics can spend their waiting time by visiting the Mini-mall of NAIA Terminal 3 at the third floor. Assorted things can be found at the mini-mall.

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Looking for a bag? Find it in NAIA Terminal 3.

ATMs of BPI and BDO can be found inside the terminal. RCBC also has a branch in NAIA Terminal 3.

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NAIA Terminal 3 Chapel

 

I am delighted to discover that there is a chapel inside NAIA Terminal 3. I took the time to pray inside the chapel. I asked God to keep me safe during the whole duration of my travel.

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Inside NAIA Terminal 3 chapel.

I highly suggest that you visit this chapel before you board your plane. 

It is time for me to leave after my visit to the NAIA Terminal 3 Chapel. I went to the boarding gate confident that God will be with me throughout my voyage.
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Random Notes #1

Finally, I am back from the heyday of travels and many activities that eclipsed the time that I should be spending with this blog. May I say that “I am sorry” to you, one of the few constant readers, for leaving an old post (and a bunch of paid posts) before I left abroad for a very short travel.

Now that I am back, I hope that everything will normalize so that I could give you the regular dose of my thoughts on this blog. I went to many places and did one marvelous thing that I believe will place my life to the right direction. In the coming weeks I will blog about the things that I saw, the experiences, and the places I went to.

As for this moment, let me leave you some random notes that I noticed while I am in absentia:

1. Terrible Airport – I got the opportunity to travel to travel to the “Land Down Under.” My connecting flight is in Kuala Lumpur and I saw how marvelous the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is. The International Terminal of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) looks shoddy when compared with KLIA. Foreign tourists ranked NAIA as one of the worst airports in the world and, sadly, I agree with them.

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(Source: Wikipedia)

2. Australians Love Kangaroos – I love kangaroos too. And like the Australians, I love them on my plate. I just discovered that kangaroo meat is delicious and one of the healthiest meat in the world.

3.  Clan War – When I left Manila, the Islamic Rebels and the government soldiers are killing each other in Mindanao. When I returned to Manila, it is the members of the Revilla clan (a local political clan in the Philippines) who are killing one another.

4. Manny Pacquiao is Popular – The greatest Filipino boxer is the only Filipino celebrity that I heard about during my whole stay in Australia.

5. M Lhuillier Pawnshop is Taking their Money in the Visayas – Particulary in Camotes Islands. I discovered that the pawnshop already bought half of the lands in a barangay in town of San Francisco. They are building a big resort in the islands that have its own wharf.

6. Manila Sunset is Better – I discovered that the Manila Bay is Sunset is way better than the sunset of West Australia. My only wish is that the coasts of Manila Bay be cleaned so that people can enjoy the beautiful sunset view.

So, that is my random notes for this day. I hope that everything get settled down so I can blog regularly in the coming weeks.

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