The bill renaming NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) to Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Pilipinas (PPP) has met stiff opposition from some senators, particularly from the Dilawan senators.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote an article talking about Senator Franklin Drilon describing the bill ‘divisive’ and ‘ill-timed’ since the country is facing a pandemic.
The senator from Iloilo argued that naming airports after their heroes or individuals whose lives shaped the history of their countries isn’t unique to the Philippines. He cited the JFK Airport in New York, Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, Indira Gandhi Airport in India, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, and Canada’s Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport as one of the popular names of airports to drive home his point.
“There is more to it than just a name. NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) gives a glimpse of who we are as people. We are known as a democracy-loving people because that is what Ninoy Aquino represents,” Drilon added. [Inquirer]
Another dilawan senator Risa Hontiveros echoed Drilon’s argument. She said the bill renaming NAIA is ill-timed and insensitive to say the least. Like Drilon, she used the pandemic as an excuse to her opposition – rising covid cases, lack of PPEs and our health personnel need our support.
Ex-DLSU History professor Van Ybiernas has taken to Facebook presenting his argument with the intention of eroding or weakening the arguments offered by Senators Drilon and Hontiveros why they oppose renaming NAIA now.
Ybiernas vividly recalled the year when the MIA (Manila International Airport) was renamed to its current name, the country was beset with political and economic crisis and yet, Congress did it anyway.
‘Noong 1987, sa gitna ng mga pulitikal at pang-ekonomiyang krisis ng bansa, noong halos araw araw ay ilang oras na walang kuryente sa bansa, noong problema ang trabaho para sa mga Pilipino, bagsak ang palitan ng piso sa dolyar, noong hindi pa nasosolusyunan ang krisis sa asukal sa Negros, noong nagkaroon ng matinding kudeta laban sa pamahalaan, noong napakalakas ng communist rebellion, mataas ang kriminalidad at marami pang ibang mabibigat na problema na kinaharap ng bansa ANG GINAWA DIN NG KONGRESO AY MAGPASA NG BATAS PARA PALITAN ANG PANGALAN NG AIRPORT mula Manila International Airport tungo Ninoy Aquino International Airport.’
Ybiernas ended the brief FB post saying this was part of our history.
‘Kasaysayan po iyan.’
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Source: Van Ybiernas
The post Ex-DLSU prof weakens Drilon’s renaming NAIA now amid pandemic ‘ill-timed’ argument in viral FB post appeared first on Pinoy Trending News.
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