GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation Archives

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) was recognized as a Breastfeeding Friendly Public Place by the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) during the 7th Breastfeeding Congress and the 1st Asia-Pacific Breastfeeding Conference in EDSA Shangri-La Hotel today, August 7.

The Breastfeeding Friendly Public Place Award recognizes the efforts of MCIA in providing a welcoming and safe space for breastfeeding mothers and their families at the airport, announced the GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA).

FOR MOTHERS. The Baby Care Room in MCIA Terminal 1.

Resort-themed airport

“The baby care room was one of the significant changes introduced to MCIA after we had our first Airport User’s Forum (AUF) and this award recognizes the result of that successful collaboration. Moreover, this is a testament of our commitment to continue transforming MCIA as the world’s friendliest resort-themed airport,” said GMCAC chief executive advisor Andrew Acquaah-Harrison.

Through the feedback and insights gathered from the AUF, the baby care room was redesigned into a welcoming, clean, and friendly facility where mothers can safely and comfortably attend to their children.

The baby care room in MCIA’s Terminal 1 was opened in May 2016 and features 4 breastfeeding cubicles with curtain partitions to provide privacy. It also has lavatories for handwashing and sanitizing breast milk containers; a refrigerator and a microwave oven for storing and reheating breast milk; and nappy changing stations. A FIDS (flight information display system) monitor is also installed inside so mothers can keep track of their flights without having to get out of the baby care room.

AWARD FOR MCIA. (From left) PPS President Dr. Salvacion Gatchalian, GMCAC Safety, Quality Head John Binamira, GMCAC Terminal Operations Head (T1) Nenette Castillion, and Dr. Claire Pascual from the PPS Breastfeeding Committee during the awarding.

Mothers working at MCIA

Aside from traveling mothers, the facility is also available for mothers who are working at the airport. It is open daily and can be found in Terminals 1 and 2.

With the vision of transforming the traveling experience of and providing a friendly service to its passengers, private operator GMCAC invited different airport users to share their feedback and suggestions in a forum dubbed the Airport User’s Forum (AUF).

Launched in August 2015, The AUF forms part of GMCAC’s stakeholder engagement initiatives where it endeavors to seek feedback from airport users to ensure that the airport’s improvements and development meet the needs of passengers with specific traveling needs and requirements.

“This initiative is designed to go beyond the traditional approach of the airport operator carrying out improvements without consultation and feedback from community users,” Harrison said. (Press Release)

It takes a village to welcome home or send off a Filipino traveler and authorities at the Mactan Cebu International Airport want to create the space and ambience for that by building an Airport Village.

“We all know in the Philippines one person arrives, half the barangay comes to meet them. So we are creating the space that will allow all of these people to be there, to meet them and welcome them home,” said GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation Chief Executive Advisor Andrew Harrison.

“Our culture has always been for people to meet and greet our visitors as many of us as possible. No airport has that kind of facility – this is the first airport that will allow that,” said Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority General Manager Steve Dicdican.

Mactan Cebu Airport Village — **PEDESTRIAN ZONE.** The old MCIA arrivals road will be permanently closed and designated a pedestrian zone as part of the Airport Village.

Better experience

Harrison said, “the Airport Village is designed to provide a much better arrival experience for passengers and significantly expanded waiting areas for meeters and greeters.”

The Airport Village is scheduled to be completed by September 2019.

Escalators and high-capacity elevators will link arrivals and departures in the Airport Village.

The Airport Village is part of the renovation of MCIA Terminal 1 based on designs by Architects Budji + Royal Design. The terminal “will have its own unique identity further building on resort-airport themed concept seen with the newly-opened Terminal 2,” GMR Megawide said in a press statement.

Harrison said the Airport Village will have a range of services, tourist counters, transport counters, and various concessionaires.

Mactan Cebu International Airport arrivals pick-up zone — **PWD-FRIENDLY.** GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation Chief Executive Advisor Andrew Harrison demonstrates the ramp that people on wheelchairs can use to get on the bus that takes people from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 with stops on the car park. With Harrison is Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority General Manager Steve Dicdican.

Pedestrian zone

Dicdican said the increased space will allow the airport to have more local stores and products. He said it “is important for this resort-themed terminal to feature local products.”

Harrison said the Airport Village will be located at the arrivals area. The whole arrivals road will be closed to vehicles and “become a pedestrian zone.”

The increased space will also allow the airport to double the capacity for reclaim bags. Previously, 3 belts were set aside for domestic baggage and 3 for international. After the renovation, all 6 will be for domestic baggage.

Harrison said passengers might encounter “minor inconveniences” with work on the terminal and asked them to be understanding. He said the challenge with the project is that they are working with a “live terminal.”

MCIA Pick-Up Zone — NEW PICK-UP ZONE. Airport authorities recently opened this new Pick-Up Zone for passengers at Terminal 1.

New arrivals pick-up zone

Harrison and Dicdican led the inauguration on March 14 of the new Arrivals Pick-Up Zone in Terminal 1. The zone has several bays where passengers can be fetched by private vehicles. Waiting time in the bays is limited to 2 minutes.

With the opening of the new Pick-Up Zone, the old Arrivals Pick-Up Road in Terminal 1 will be permanently closed. Vehicles fetching passengers have the option of using the main car park between Terminals 1 and 2 or the new Pick-Up Zone.