Kuzocela umqondo omuhle wokucabanga. Ukushayela esikhumulweni sezindiza i-Clark, i-70 km eNyakatho ye-Manila ibonakala ibuyela emuva esikhathini esedlule. Ishiya iMetro Manila nohlelo lwayo lwemigwaqo egcwele abantu abaningi, izimoto zingenela umgwaqo omkhulu omusha oxhumanisa inhloko-dolobha yasePhilippines neClark-Subic Area ezungezwe amasimu e-paddy namapulazi amancane. Ngokuya ngendlela ephumayo eyiswa esikhumulweni sezindiza sase-Clark, imoto ingase igcine isisendleleni yasemaphandleni. I-Clark Airport phambilini ibiyisizinda samasosha asemoyeni ase-US. Futhi ukungena esikhumulweni sezindiza esincane, kunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi ngolunye usuku abagibeli abangaba izigidi ezingu-80 bazodlula esikhumulweni sezindiza.
Kodwa okwamanje, i-Clark Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) ithola abagibeli abangu-600,000 kuphela futhi ibhekwa yiHhovisi Lezokuthutha zasePhilippines njengesango eliyinhloko lezindiza zebhajethi. “Imibono ibe mihle kakhulu kuze kube manje ngo-2009 njengoba sikhula ngamadijithi amabili esiminyaminya sabagibeli phakathi kukaJanuwari noSepthemba. Kungenzeka sishaye abagibeli abayisigidi phakathi kuka-2011 no-2012,” kusho uVictor Jose Luciano, uMongameli kanye ne-CEO yeClark International Airport Corporation.
Ukucindezela okukhulu kwenzeka ngo-2008 lapho uMongameli wase-Filipino u-Gloria Macapagal Arroyo esayina isimemezelo sokuguqula isikhumulo sezindiza sibe i-Premier Air Gateway yaseManila. Indawo yesikhumulo sezindiza icishe ibe nkulu ngokuphindwe kathathu kunesikhumulo sezindiza iManila Ninoy Aquino International esikhona manje - amahektha ayi-2,387 esewonke amahektha angama-800 kuphela asetshenziswayo njengamanje. I-US Air Force ishiye lesi sikhungo sinemigwaqo emibili yezindiza engu-3,200 m yomibili ikwazi ukubhekelela izindiza ezinkulu njenge-Airbus.
Kuze kube manje, i-DMIA ixhunywe izinkampani zenethiwekhi zezindleko eziphansi eziyisithupha (i-Cebu Pacific, i-AirAsia, i-Tiger Airways, i-Spirit of Manila, i-SEAir ne-Zest Air) kanye nenkampani yefa i-Asiana evela e-Korea. I-Jin Air isivele imemezele ukuthi izoqala maduze izindiza ezisuka eSeoul ziye e-Clark. NgokukaLuciano, umthumeli weGulf naye angase abe khona maduze esikhumulweni sezindiza, enakekela ngaleso sikhathi izigidi zabasebenzi basePhilippines abahlala eMpumalanga Ephakathi. “Siyaqiniseka futhi ukwamukela isizinda esisha se-AirAsia eNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia. Besivele sinezingxoxo ezinzima nabaphathi bayo,” kwengeza uLuciano. Ingane entsha ebhulokhi i-Spirit of Manila eqale ngoNovemba imizila eya eMacau, Taipei nase-Bahrain.
Inkinga enkulu manje ukuthuthukiswa kwetheminali entsha. Ukwakhiwa kubambezelekile kuze kube manje kodwa kubukeka sengathi umsebenzi uzoqala engxenyeni yokuqala yesikhumulo sezindiza kulo nyaka. Igalari entsha kanye nesitezi sesibili kwengezwa esikhumulweni samanje esizokhuphula umthamo ukusuka kubagibeli abayizigidi ezimbili kuya kwezinhlanu. Izifiso zikaClark zizothatha isimo esibambekayo maduzane. Izinhlelo sezigunyaziwe ukuklama itheminali yesibili ezoba yisisekelo sesango lezwe elizayo elinqamula amazwekazi. Isu elihle lasungulwa yi-Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) ngoNovemba 2008 ibheka itheminali yesibili enomthamo wokuqala wabagibeli abayizigidi eziyisikhombisa. Enye ingqalasizinda ihlanganisa inxanxathela yezitolo, imigwaqo emisha yamatekisi, ukunwetshwa kwephinifa kanye nomzila wezindiza owodwa, indawo yokuthwala impahla kanye nombhoshongo omusha wokulawula. Isamba sokutshalwa kwezimali kwalesi sigaba silinganiselwa ku-US$ 150 wezigidi zamaRandi njengoba kulindeleke ukuthi kuqedwe ukuqedwa ngo-2013. “Ngaleso sikhathi, iTheminali 2 izobe isinikezelwe ekuhwebeni kwamazwe ngamazwe lapho iTheminali 1 ithatha yonke imizila yasekhaya”, kusho uLuciano. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, i-DMIA izokwazi ukusingatha abagibeli abayizigidi ezingama-80.
Amaphephandaba endawo asanda kubika intshisekelo yefemu ezinze e-Kuwait, i-Almal Investment Company, ukuthuthukisa i-DMIA ukuze kutshalwe imali eyizigidigidi eziyi-1.2 zamaRandi. Esiphakamisweni sangomhla zingama-24 kuZibandlela 2009, inkampani yazwakalisa isifiso sayo sokuthuthukisa zonke izingxenye zomphakathi ze-DMIA Terminal 1, 2, kanye no-3 ngokusekelwe ohlelweni oluyinhloko olukhona. I-Almal Investment Company izosebenzisa ngokushesha u-US$ 100 wezigidi esigabeni sokuqala seTheminali 2.
Olunye udaba oluphuthumayo kuzoba isixhumanisi seManila. Kuze kube manje, kuthatha amahora amabili ngemoto ukufika esikhumulweni sezindiza futhi kufanele kwenziwe umsebenzi ophuthumayo ukuze kunwetshwe umgwaqo omkhulu futhi kunikezwe izinto zokuhamba zomphakathi ezifanele. “Sikuqaphela kakhulu ukugcwala kwemigwaqo eManila kodwa kufanele kube ngcono ngokuvulwa komgwaqo omusha oyindandatho ngo-2010 eQuezon City. Ukuphothulwa kweNorthern Commuter Train System kuzophinde kunikeze isixhumanisi esiqondile sesitimela esisuka eClark siya eManila Northern Station,” kwengeza uLuciano.
Ukuthuthukiswa kwe-DMIA njengesango likaNdunankulu wezwe ngeke kusho ukuvalwa kwesikhumulo sezindiza samazwe ngamazwe saseManila. I-NAIA izokwehliswa ibe isikhumulo sezindiza sasekhaya nazo zonke izindiza ezigxile ku-Terminal 2 kanye ne-Terminal 3. futhi ekuqaleni kuka-2010, intuthuko ethile enhle ingase yenzeke e-NAIA. Kubonakala sengathi indawo yesimanjemanje yesikhumulo sezindiza i-Manila, i-Terminal 3, ekugcineni izoba ikhaya elisha lezinkampani ezine ezithwala amazwe ngamazwe - cishe i-Korean Air, i-Japan Airlines, i-Thai Airways ne-Singapore Airlines. Kuze kube manje, yi-Cebu Pacific kanye ne-PAL Express kuphela ezisebenza kusukela kuTheminali eyakhelwe ukuthwala abagibeli abayizigidi eziyi-13. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, iTheminali 3 izothatha zonke izinkampani zamazwe ngamazwe lapho iTheminali 1 ivala iminyango yayo emphakathini. Kuze kube manje, abathwali bakwamanye amazwe bebencamele ukuhlala eSiteshini 1 esidala ngenxa yezinkinga zezomthetho ze-Terminal 3 phakathi kukahulumeni nenhlangano eyakha lesi sikhungo.
