The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently held a three-day disaster preparedness workshop to improve its ability to respond during emergencies.
Organized by New NAIA Infrastructure Corp (NNIC), the workshop was part of the Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) program. The initiative is a global partnership led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and DHL Group, with support from the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF).
The program helps airports prepare to serve as key logistics hubs during disasters such as floods, earthquakes, fires, and landslides. It focuses on improving how relief goods, rescue teams, and equipment are handled and transported.
More than 40 participants from NAIA, government agencies, and non-government organizations joined the training. They learned how to identify possible delays in airport operations during emergencies, assess capacity, and create action plans to address issues.
Participants also inspected airport facilities to find suitable areas for aircraft parking and storage of relief supplies, while considering future airport developments.
NAIA is the fourth airport in the Philippines to complete the GARD program, following Clark, Mactan-Cebu, and Laguindingan airports. It was also the first in the country to join the program when it launched in 2013.
Officials said the training is important as NAIA continues to expand, with new terminals planned. They also aim to bring similar training to smaller airports across the country to strengthen disaster response nationwide.
The GARD program, launched in 2009, has been implemented in 70 airports in 31 countries, helping improve airport readiness for crisis situations.
