/ 28 October 2004

Flush new look for Philippines’ airport loos

Stinky and dingy toilets in the Philippines’ premier international airport will soon get a facelift under a massive renovation programme, officials said on Thursday.

A total of 42 restrooms at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International airport will be renovated under the project, according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

Two ”model” toilets were opened to the public on Thursday to launch the renovation project.

The two new lavatories, one each for men and women, have a ”look comparable with five-star hotels”, the MIAA said in a statement.

Each restroom has five cubicles, including one for the disabled, and toilets equipped with infrared sensors, an automatic flushing system and bidets.

The top-of-the-line materials and fixtures used in the model units were donated by various suppliers as free advertisements, said Oscar Paras, a senior assistant general manager at the MIAA.

Paras said the model units cost an estimated five million pesos ($88 809), but stressed that the MIAA did not spend a single centavo on them.

The MIAA said the renovation of the toilets is a priority project of airport general manager Alfonso Cusi, who once said, ”If we can’t manage our restrooms, we can’t manage anything.” — Sapa-DPA