I came from Cebu yesterday via Cebu Pacific that is why I landed at NAIA Terminal 3. It was my first time to use Terminal 3 as a take off and landing point. Of all the NAIA Terminals and some of the airports I’ve been to around the Philippines, Terminal 3 is the most similar to international airports in other countries like Seoul, Singapore, Kyoto and Bangkok. The layout of the check-in counters and the immigration counters and the fact that even non-passengers can enter up to the airport lobby. It is a shame that Terminal 3 is not yet fully utilized. It is newer and the lay-out is much more suitable for international passengers than old NAIA. Maybe the government can transfer the international flights to Terminal 3 and rebuild and refurbish old NAIA so that its facilities will be at par with the modern international airports like Singapore and Incheon.
As I made my way out of the airport, I checked the airport signs to see where I can get a taxi. When I went outside, I walked towards the area where I can see signs for airport taxis. I also noticed that there was a shuttle taking passengers from the airport to nearby destinations like Terminal 2 and MRT in Pasay (I think). There were two kinds of airport taxis, the flat rate taxis and the metered taxis. The flat rate airport taxis white-colored SUVs while the metered taxis are yellow-colored sedans. Flat rate taxis are more expensive but they can seat more people or accommodate larger baggages. If your traveling light and alone or up to four passengers, then the metered taxis would be a better choice. Since I was alone and traveling light, I opted for the metered taxi. These airport metered taxis are twice more expensive than the regular taxis because you are paying the trip from and back to the airport. These special taxis are not supposed to pick up passengers along the way. As I have mentioned in my previous post, the flag down rate for the 1st 500 meters is P70 and for every succeeding 300 meters thereafter is P4.00. The dispatcher gives out slips of paper, one for the passenger and another for the transport company. It includes the passenger’s name, destination and the plate number of the taxi. Included also are the telephone numbers where you can report any act of abuse and/or discourtesy. You can call the Office OIC, CPMD & Terminal 3 at telephone numbers 8777888 loc. 8090/8089 or 4252265/4252271. You can also send comments or suggestions thru text via 0917-8395242. I would like to say in advance that I have not tried using these numbers so I cannot say if they work or not. These are just the numbers indicated in the transport dispatch slips. I also wrote down the LTFRB hotline cellphone number listed at the back of the vehicles 09214487777. Again, I have been lucky not to have needed these numbers so I cannot attest to their veracity. The driver of the taxi I rode in was courteous and careful in driving so I was lucky. However, passengers should still remain vigilant because I know that there are still airport taxi drivers who take advantage of their passengers.
