New Iloilo airport needs more staff but ‘no vacancy’

The Guardian Iloilo. 2007-03-15
Jeehan V. Fernandez

THE soon to open New Iloilo Airport Development Project (NIADP) will need more employees but the Air Transportation Office (ATO-6) said they have no vacancies for prospective applicants to fill up such positions.

ATO-6 chief Alan Java, who serves as the Iloilo airport manager, said job applications in his office continue to pile up.

Java noted the old Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao, Iloilo City presently has 127 employees. These employees will be transferred to the new 188-hectare NIADP located in Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan towns once the new airport starts operating on April 12.

“We need additional 356 employees to work on the new airport. But there are no vacancies in the ATO as the government did not open item positions for these,” Java clarified.

He added the additional number of employees would translate to around P81million in salaries to be paid by ATO annually.

Java explained that some 200 workers are needed for janitorial services alone but these will be provided by a private placement agency.

The NIADP costing about P8.8-billion is financed by a P5.259-billion loan from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) while the Philippine government shouldered the difference.

Java said the new airport will accommodate the same 27 inbound and outbound flights daily being served by the old airport.

The Guardian Iloilo. 2007-03-15