“The facial recognition technology is expected to be in place by December”
NEWS the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will soon be using facial recognition technology is eagerly anticipated by travelers.
It is not only President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. nor the Overseas Filipino Workers who are excited, coming after the tragedy in one of NAIA’s terminals last month, but regular air travelers too.
The system is expected to be in place by December and greatly benefit homecoming OFWs for Christmas with their families.
President Marcos said the measure would minimize the hassle of carrying multiple documents and immigration process would be faster and more convenient.
The Chief Executive, accompanied by Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and SMC Chairman/CEO Ramon S. Ang inspected the transformation and rehabilitation works at the country’s premier gateway under the NNIC.
The President visited the Immigration Area, Overseas Filipino Workers Immigration Annex, OFW Lounge and OFW Rest Area, Transportation Network Vehicle Services area, and Arrival curbside area.
Secretary Dizon himself lauded Mr. Ang and NNIC for underwriting the cost of the facial recognition system.
“Since the turnover of the management and operations of NAIA to SMC subsidiary New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation last year, there have been improvements reported in the media and those shared by friends who experienced the impact of these upgrades during their recent travels,” Dizon said.
NNIC has also improved the Immigration Area, the OFW Lounge, internet connectivity, traffic system, power supply system, procured emergency vehicles, increased the number of “follow-me” vehicles, among others.
Soon the NNIC will also introduce advanced systems to streamline airport operations after it partnered with a global leader in airport technology.
A new terminal, the NAIA Terminal 5, will rise at the site occupied by Philippine Village Hotel. Demolition of the structure is expected to be completed in five months, earlier reports suggested.
Mr. Ang has said the construction of Terminal 5 can be finished in 30 months and will host domestic flights and help decongest Terminal 2.
NAIA’s rehabilitation, considered the fastest public-private partnership project undertaken, “is the biggest PPP the country has ever done and the fastest we were able to do,” the President said.
Following a vehicular crash last month, the departure drop-off zone at NAIA Terminal 1 now follows an updated parallel configuration.
Mr. Ang and the SMC subsidiary have extended assistance to the families of the victims. His daughter Cecille personally shouldered the medical expenses of the wounded and provided financial assistance to the victim’s surviving families.
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The Million Trees Foundation, Inc. meanhile has lauded SMC for bagging two major awards in the 2025 Global Good Governance (3G) Awards.
SMC was recognized with the 3G Leadership Award in CSR and 3G Best Sustainability Reporting Award by the Cambridge-IFA based in the UK. The CSR award commended SMC’s leadership in high-impact community programs, while the sustainability prize was for its detailed disclosures on environmental and social practices.
“To be counted among a distinguished line-up of globally recognized and successful companies is an honor. We thank Cambridge IFA behind the Global Good Governance Awards. As a company, we have also worked to grow not just in scale, but also in purpose — to be a force for good and help in nation-building,” Mr. Ang said.
The 3G Awards commends individuals, governments, public and private institutions and NGOs that demonstrate making governance and sustainability a strategic priority of their organizations.
Over the years, SMC’s commitment to integrate sustainable practices has been recognized by other award-giving organizations: testaments to SMC’s dedication to corporate governance, environment stewardship, and social responsibility.
“More than awards, they are reminders to stay true to our values, to run our businesses responsibly and to build a more inclusive and sustainable future,” Mr. Ang said.
MTFI is privileged to have SMC as an institutional partner in the Foundation’s various projects on environment protection and sustainability. Its endowment has financed the construction of the Multi-purpose Hall at the Million Trees Nursery and Eco-Learning Center inside the La Mesa Watershed compound.
SMC’s environment protection programs have covered rehabilitation of rivers like the Pasig River, Pampanga River, San Juan River and rivers in Pampanga and Bulacan as well as in Laguna.
(MTV is president/chief executive officer of Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. and president/executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-government outfit advocating tree-planting and environmental protection.)
