POST SIMEX: Iloilo airport to improve comms, logistics

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

The more than one-hour of full-scale simulation exercise at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo on Saturday tested the response time, preparedness, and interoperability of the airport.

At 8 a.m., the Iloilo airport was in total lockdown as participating agencies responded to a bomb incident from an “unattended baggage” at the departure area of the airport.

Manuela Luisa Palma, acting airport manager of the Iloilo International Airport, said the drill showed huge improvement in the airport’s communication capabilities.

“We have made improvements damo ang amon na-improve especially sa communication. Kay sa past namon nga activity may mga gamay nga lapses so this one we have improved on it,” she said.

One of the evaluators of the drill, Aletha Nogra of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-6, said Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Iloilo and the airport complied with the requirements for the activation of the emergency operations center.

Nogra said small improvements can be made for the efficient and effective operations of the airport particularly on its radio communication and interoperability.

“All in all, successful and may recommendations lang kami particularly sa pag-enhance sang radio communications inside CAAP and interoperability sa extended hospital kon diin ang patients idal-on,” she said.

The simulation drill was officially terminated at 9:17 a.m. and operations at the airport immediately resumed.

“We are able to finish the drill in one hour and 17 minutes ahead of our supposedly two-hour target,” Palma said.

Five domestic flights were affected by the drill but were rescheduled to other available time.

Despite advance announcements by the CAAP, some passengers were also affected by the lockdown and were not allowed to leave the airport until the lockdown was terminated.

According to Palma, the Iloilo airport is required to conduct a full-scale drill every two years as a certified aerodrome.

“Iloilo airport is a certified aerodrome and this is also to test the interoperability of the various agencies nga gabulig sa aton when it comes sa mga incidents nga gakatabo sa airport,” she stressed.

Palma underscored the need to conduct the exercise to showcase and test the immediate responses of the agencies.

“Hopefully, wala ta man ginapangayo butif there will be incidents makita naton ang readiness and preparedness sang kada agency nga pwede man ma-practice naton,” she said.

The Iloilo airport accommodates around 3,400 to 4,000 inbound and outbound passengers every day with 31 average flights, according to Palma.