This story is taken from our archives. Originally published in Zee Digital Vol 1.
If you need proof that Cebu is fast becoming a travel hub, you just need to check the numbers. More than 10 million passengers—domestic and international—passed through the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in 2017. That shows a rise of almost two million people from the previous year’s nine million passenger traffic count.
As the country’s second biggest gateway, the MCIA had struggled with overworked runways and lack of passenger terminals, especially as it continued to accommodate more flights daily. It was timely, then, that GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) came in and cemented the plans for expansion.
GMCAC won the 25-year public-private partnership contract to take over airport operations from the government. Since their appointment in 2014, they have put in considerable improvements to make airport functions more efficient. Previously cramped corridors were opened up and brightened, allowing for a smoother flow of foot traffic and airier interiors. Creature comforts like restrooms were updated, and thoughtful details such as the breastfeeding station were installed. Most notably, GMCAC
installed an electronic boarding pass reader, so passengers can move into the predeparture area more quickly.
Of course, that has been overshadowed by the buzz generated by Terminal 2. Its inauguration celebration was attended by President Rodrigo Duterte, and a number of prominent Cebuano personalities who were all curious about the new terminal. It officially opened its doors on July 1, and has since seen the opening of a number of new direct routes. The expansive development of terminal two is what the buzz is all about.
Terminal 2’s interiors boast of a resort-like design
“The construction of a new world-class passenger terminal is meant to drive further growth in passenger traffic, which translates to a more robust tourism environment for the region,” says Andrew Harrison, GMCAC’s Chief Executive Advisor.
Touted as the country’s only resort airport, the MCIA Terminal 2 is a lifestyle destination all its own. The design is a collaboration between the hong Kong-based Integrated Design Associates, and top Filipino interior design and architecture duo Budji Layug and Royal Pineda.
The terminal features a series of 15-meter high arches that evoke the image of waves, a fitting homage to the seas surrounding Mactan Island. Supplied by the European company Rubner Group, each arch was shipped in one piece and created with wood from a sustainable supply.
More importantly, the new terminal will also serve to highlight local Cebuano talent—world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue is coming in to create pieces for the interiors, while celebrated fashion designer Cary Santiago designed the airport’s staff uniforms.
On his end, Kenneth is excited to create a world-class terminal with his frequent collaborators Budji Layug and Royal Pineda, and believes the design will make history. “We are hopeful that this is going to be the best airport in the country.”
The aesthetic elements aside, it’s clear that efficiency was a top priority in coming up with the design. A two-level forecourt segregates the Arrivals and Departures area. There are 48 check-in counters, which are expandable to 72, and provisions for seven passenger boarding bridges. It’s also equipped with 12 escalators and 15 elevators, facilitating the easy movement of passengers, especially persons with disabilities.
To further enhance customer service, there will be a premium lounge at the International Departures area. Passengers who are either leaving or coming can enjoy a number of in-terminal activities, or visit the new retail and dining concepts. There’s even the option of enjoying Cebu’s famous lechon in one
of the stalls at the terminal.
Photography by Nath Ybanez
With Terminal 2’s completion, GMCAC is anticipating another rise in passenger count, especially as more routes are being opened from Cebu. After all, GMCAC shares that they can accommodate an estimate of 13 million passengers annually.
Since the beginning of this year, MCIA has already welcomed an addition of six airlines on its roster—Air Juan, Juneyao Air, OK Air, Lucky Air, Sichuan Airlines, and Pan Pacific Airlines. Qatar Airways also announced its return to Cebu during ITB Berlin, the world’s biggest travel trade show. On the other hand, airlines who are already servicing Cebu have pledged to add more flights to their current offering. Just recently, Air Asia introduced direct flights to Shanghai.
That said, GMCAC is also hyping up its penetration of the Chinese market. “We have four new Chinese airlines that opened,” said Avigael Maningo, GMCAC Corporate Communications Manager. “The Chinese market has become the highest spenders in Asia, and we are trying to bring them to Cebu.”
With all the brands coming in, GMCAC hopes the year will end with more direct flights from Cebu to destinations in Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe.
Furthermore, the new airport project has opened doors to foreign investment opportunities in the country. According to GMCAC President Louie Ferrer, they are looking to promote Cebu to other untapped markets. GMCAC credits the remarkable growth in MCIA’s passenger traffic to its destination marketing initiatives, and its positioning of Cebu as a gateway to the rest of the Philippines, and
as a major transfer hub to international destinations.
It’s clear that Cebu is fast becoming the international travel hub of the Visayas and Mindanao regions, with residents from neighboring provinces taking their connecting flights from the MCIA, instead of through Metro Manila. It would definitely be a more efficient option—Cebu is closer to the southern regions of the Philippines, and international flights here could free up the already highly congested Metro Manila airports.
The challenge, then, is making sure the MCIA does not fall into the same trap its northern counterpart did. Although there’s yet to be any concrete confirmation, there are already plans of reclaiming land to expand the runway. There’s also talk of designating runways strictly for take-offs and landings, which would make air traffic flow more seamless.
According to Branding head JR Torres, the next step is renovating Terminal 1. GMCAC is hoping to bring major upgrades by next year, with some noticeable improvements on the old
structure and its processes.
In the meantime, we are invited to experience MCIA Terminal 2. Although it’s not yet functional in its entirety, and we hear there are processes that need to be streamlined, we’re extremely proud to have such a monumental gateway in Cebu. Its towering facade of curves and glass is a promise—one of progress, development, and bringing the rest of the world a little closer to home.
]]>Its inauguration celebration was attended by President Rodrigo Duterte, and a number of prominent Cebuano personalities who were all curious about the new terminal. It officially opened its doors on July 1, and has since seen the opening of a number of new direct routes.
Touted as the country’s only resort airport, the MCIA Terminal 2 is a lifestyle destination all its own. The design is a collaboration between the Hong Kong-based Integrated Design Associates, and top Filipino interior design and architecture duo Budji Layug and Royal Pineda.
The terminal features a series of 15-meter high arches that evoke the image of waves, a fitting homage to the seas surrounding Mactan Island. Supplied by the European company Rubner Group, each arch was shipped in one piece and created with wood from a sustainable supply.
More importantly, the new terminal will also serve to highlight local Cebuano talent—world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue is coming in to create pieces for the interiors, while celebrated fashion designer Cary Santiago designed the airport’s staff uniforms.
On his end, Kenneth is excited to create a world-class terminal with his frequent collaborators Budji Layug and Royal Pineda, and believes the design will make history.
“We are hopeful that this is going to be the best airport in the country.”
The aesthetic elements aside, it’s clear that efficiency was a top priority in coming up with the design. A two-level forecourt segregates the Arrivals and Departures area. There are 48 check-in counters, which are expandable to 72, and provisions for seven passenger boarding bridges. It’s also equipped with 12 escalators and 15 elevators, facilitating the easy movement of passengers, especially persons with disabilities.
To further enhance customer service, there will be a premium lounge at the International Departures area. Passengers who are either leaving or coming can enjoy a number of in-terminal activities, or visit the new retail and dining concepts. There’s even the option of enjoying Cebu’s famous lechon in one of the stalls at the terminal.
Although it’s not yet functional in its entirety, and we hear there are processes that need to be streamlined, we’re extremely proud to have such a monumental gateway in Cebu. Its towering facade of curves and glass is a promise—one of progress, development, and bringing the rest of the world a little closer to home.
This is an excerpt taken from the Zee Digital Vol. 1. To read the full story, download your copy now at www. zee.ph!
]]>With its large wooden arches, glass walls and custom-made mother-of-pearl flooring, Terminal 2 is definitely an awe-inspiring structure. It was designed by Hong Kong-based firm Integrated Design Associates Ltd., with input from Filipino design personalities like Budji Layug, Royal Pineda and Cebu’s own Kenneth Cobonpue.
The completion of Terminal 2 marks Cebu’s place in the international travel scene, opening the city up to significantly more destinations around the world.
The Jet Set
While anticipating its launch, we at Zee Lifestyle decided that the best way to celebrate Terminal 2 is by pairing it with other Cebu talents. In a special preview of the airport, we brought in creations from some of Cebu’s top fashion designers, and juxtaposed them against the gorgeous architectural details of Terminal 2.
Pale blue straight-leg pants and blouse with cape detail, by JUN ESCARIO. Round bag, from PROMOD. Boots, stylist’s own.
Textured dress, by ARCY GAYATIN. Studded ankle boots, from PROMOD.
Draped oversized shirt and palazzo pants, by OJ HOFER. Gold loafers, rose sunglasses and tote bag, from PROMOD.
Crop top and culottes set with floral detailing, by ARCY GAYATIN. Denim jacket, stylist’s own. Embroidered clutch and sandals, from PROMOD.
Floral matching set, by PHILIP RODRIGUEZ. Peep-toe ankle boots and embroidered tote bag, from PROMOD.
Floral jacquard pants, by OJ HOFER. Oversized sunglasses, from PROMOD. Camisole, woven bag and nude heels, stylist’s own.
Lace one-piece and cigarette pants, by PHILIPP TAMPUS.
Embroidered lace blouse and palazzo pants, by PHILIPP TAMPUS. Ankle boots, from PROMOD.
Fashion Editor OJ Hofer | Photography Nath Ybañez | Videography Chester Baldicantos | Hair and Makeup Makeup by Arnauld | Stylist Vanessa East | Models Daina Nelson of Origin Model & Artist Management and Carolina Costantin of Shutter Models & Talent Management | Accessories Promod
]]>
Each airport has its own charm; often, I’d find that many of those in the country are quite small, simple and straight-to-the-point, serving as gateways to and from other islands. To their credit, they’re well-maintained and well-managed.
In other countries, like Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport, for example, their airport is of decent size, divided into areas of the lower-end airlines and higher-end ones. Of course, I can’t forget Singapore’s Changi Airport, which was named by Forbes as the world’s best airport for the sixth year in a row this 2018. Then there’s South Korea’s Incheon Airport, the eight busiest airport in the world, which personally, was my best airport experience. Other notable airports include Hong Kong’s International Airport and Japan’s Haneda Airport.
These airports have left positive, lasting impressions on me not just for their world-class facilities and services, but their designs, as well. It’s interesting to note that many other Cebuanos echo the same sentiment.
Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 at night
That being said, my excitement was palpable when I caught wind of talks about plans of expanding the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) into a world-class airport, three odd years ago. Who wouldn’t be excited about a world-class airport, right on this tiny island of Cebu?
Cebu is a jump-off point to many other destinations not just in the Visayas region and in the country, but to international destinations as well—with the likes of Hong Kong and Singapore. It was only natural that congestion (the airport was operating over half its capacity, at 10 million last year in 2017) and the need for better facilities became a concern over the years, which in turn, cemented the decision to establish Terminal 2 through a public-private partnership between the Philippine government and the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC).
The MCIA Terminal 2, or T2 as we fondly call it, is set to become the friendliest gateway to the country—not just to Cebu, but to the Philippines. The addition of T2 is expected to accommodate 12.5 million passengers per annum, a huge jump from the 4.5 million capacity that the airport initially had.
Inaugurated last June 7, President Rodrigo Duterte and other key political figures were also in attendance for a first look at T2.
“It’s a beautiful airport. Cebuanos are very lucky,” Duterte says at the press conference after the inauguration ceremony.
Lucky, indeed, considering how much of the terminal is largely Cebu-influenced—from its design down to the materials used for construction; even the floors have mother of pearl shards embedded into them, which glisten like the sand of the island’s beaches when the light hits them. Fun fact: it takes about twelve polishings to achieve that particular shine.
At first look, the most recognizable element of the terminal is its arched roof, made out of Glulam timber and reminiscent of the waves of Cebu’s popular beaches. Complementing the wood is the tempered glass facade and high ceiling, which will keep the passengers entertained with the view as they wait for their flights. Mahogany wood, a true Cebuano trademark, can also be found in the terminal’s interiors, perfectly mimicking the beauty of Cebu. Rattan, which is embedded in the history of Cebu’s furniture industry, are weaved onto the check-in counters, showcasing an excellent mix of Cebuano history and beautiful craftsmanship.
Terminal 2’s check-in counters
A little greenery plays a big role in livening up a space, and Terminal 2 goes the extra mile by placing live moss on the walls of their comfort rooms, which help stabilize humidity as well as improve the quality of air. Take it from us—this is definitely going to be the most-instagrammed spot of T2!
As a Cebuana and a traveler, Terminal 2 is something I’ve been waiting for with bated breath—and it’s a breath that I’ll be releasing soon, as T2 is set to open on July 1. It’s time to plan your next exodus overseas!
]]>