What went wrong with NAIA's bollards?

NOTES ON THE BEAT

- By ELIJAH FELICE ROSALES

Bollards are supposed to prevent vehicles from crashing into pedestrians, but this was not the case in the recent car crash at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

In December 2018, NAIA regulator Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced it was looking for a contractor that would install security bollards for all terminals of the airport.

Based on MIAA's procurement monitoring report, the project was led by the Office of the Assistant General Manager for Engineering's Development and Planning Department.

The MIAA detailed the project as supply and installation of security bollards at the curbside area of NAIA Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The agency needed the bollards to prevent any possibility of hostile vehicle intrusion into the terminals.

The MIAA had allocated P8.03 million for the project, but lone bidder Kontrak Enterprises said it could supply and install the bollards for P8.01 million. With this, the agency was able to save at least P20,000 in awarding the project to the company.

The MIAA opened and evaluated the bid on Feb. 7, 2019, and issued the notice of award to Kontrak Enterprises on Feb. 28, with the project contract signed on March 27 and the notice to proceed released on March 28.

Kontrak Enterprises was given up to 120 days to complete the project, and the MIAA declared it finished in exactly 120 days on July 26, 2019.

The project went through standard bidding that government contracts have to comply with before they are awarded to a contractor.

So what went wrong with the bollards that failed to hold up against the Ford Everest that crashed into the departure area of Terminal 1 last May 4? Had the bollards served their purpose, two lives would have been saved, including that of a five-year-old.