Asia - MNL airport taxi nightmare

It used to be so good and the saying still goes, 'dont fix it if it aint broke'.....

My favourite was Nissan taxi company. I usually fly PAL into MNL because I avoid T1 at any cost. So to my surprise things had changed when i arrived at MNL yesterday.
No more taxi counters and just 1 option, quite a walk, under the ticketing centre, where they told be that they were the only one offering taxis at PES 500 or more! :td:
So I kindly accepted their little coupon and walked up the stairs to the arrivals and took a normal taxi there.

When I used to take Nissan taxi to my hotel it used to be about PES 240, Then now they ask more then double. My taxi from the hotel back to the airport was PES 120 excl tip. What a rip-off!

My assumption is that this is just another example of Philippines corruption - someone paid someone for the exclusive rights to taxis at MNL. We just pick up the tab as passengers. It annoyed me too - the old Nissan cabs from T1 were nicer and cheaper than what is on offer now.

The more I get to know it the more I realise that the whole Philippines economy (and much of its society) is fundamentally broken, which is a great shame given how nice all the Filipino people that I have met are at an individual level.

I usually fly PAL into MNL because I avoid T1 at any cost.

what's the latest on t3? (i've been out of the loop for a while, but remain curious)

what's the latest on t3? (i've been out of the loop for a while, but remain curious)

I was catching up on the news this morning and found a partial answer to my own question. It appears that Lucio Tan is trying to muscle his way back into the picture (this would be bad news given PR's track record at T2) and the German group has lowered its payoff demand to less than $.50 on the dollar. Story:

Battle of ethnic Chinese tycoons for NAIA 3 goes to SC

First posted 04:40am (Mla time) Oct 21, 2005
By Armand N. Nocum
Inquirer News Service

THE BATTLE of the Filipino-Chinese tycoons over the Ninoy Aquino International Airport's Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) has reached the Supreme Court, with the Asia's Emerging Dragon Corp. (AEDC) asking the high court to order the government to award to it the contract to operate the mothballed facility.

AEDC, which groups six of the country's top ethnic Chinese tycoons or taipans, asked the high court to stop the government from "negotiating, re-bidding, awarding or entering into a concession contract with any third parties" for the operation of the terminal.

AEDC lawyers said the prohibition must cover the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (PIATCo), which won the bidding to construct the controversial terminal.

In May 2003, the tribunal nullified the $650-million contract between the government and PIATCo for the NAIA 3, on the ground that it was grossly disadvantageous to the government.

The government expropriated the facility last December but has been unable to operate it because of a number of lawsuits. One of these is the arbitration case filed before the World Bank's International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes by PIATCo's German-based partner, Fraport, which is seeking to be reimbursed its $425 million investment in NAIA 3.

Recently, however, Fraport agreed to sell its PIATCo stake for $200 million to a consortium headed by Chinese-Filipino tycoon Emilio Yap, the owner of the Manila Hotel.

This development prompted AEDC, the original proponent of the NAIA 3 project before it was awarded to PIATCo, to revive its interest in the terminal project.

Lawyer Perfecto Yasay, who led the team of AEDC lawyers that petitioned the high court, said the AEDC, "being the recognized and unchallenged original proponent, has the exclusive, clear and vested statutory right to the award" of the NAIA 3 project.

Established in 1993, AEDC was originally composed of ethnic Chinese tycoons John Gokongwei, Andrew Gotianun, Henry Sy Sr., George Sy, Alfonso Yuchengco and Lucio Tan. Tan is said to be the only one left in the consortium now.

In the petition, AEDC argued that the Supreme Court ruling against PIATCo "restored petitioner AEDC to its preferred status as the unchallenged original proponent" of the NAIA 3 project.

Citing of RA 6957, as amended by RA 771, or the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, it said that AEDC was automatically entitled to the award of the NAIA 3 project as a matter of "clear statutory right."

Yasay said in a press briefing that the AEDC's legal move would not lead to a further delay of the airport's opening.

Actually it's not bad as it sounds unless you're a local and you know your way around. But for travelers like me, I would prefer to deal with licensed taxis. I paid something like 600 Pesos (or $10) for a taxi ride to a Makati hotel a couple of weeks ago (compared to $30 that my hotel normally charges for airport transfers; now that's a scam). I've heard stories of taxi drivers overcharging passengers; worst yet, they can take you to places where you can be held up and left on the streets. For my safety, I'd rather spend the extra $5. No offense to Manila but I just don't feel comfortable flagging taxis in Manila since you don't which ones are legitimate and which ones are waiting to pick up the next victim. Peace.

Actually it's not bad as it sounds unless you're a local and you know your way around. But for travelers like me, I would prefer to deal with licensed taxis. I paid something like 600 Pesos (or $10) for a taxi ride to a Makati hotel a couple of weeks ago (compared to $30 that my hotel normally charges for airport transfers; now that's a scam). I've heard stories of taxi drivers overcharging passengers; worst yet, they can take you to places where you can be held up and left on the streets. For my safety, I'd rather spend the extra $5. No offense to Manila but I just don't feel comfortable flagging taxis in Manila since you don't which ones are legitimate and which ones are waiting to pick up the next victim. Peace.

Manila airport is probably the one place where it's safer to get hotel taxi service pickup. I travel within Asia 3-4 times a year, been doing it for 30 yrs and the only place where I won't get in a taxi unless it's from the hotel.

My cousin, HK resident was 'kidnapped' when he silly enough let some guy take his bags, throw into trunk and he jumped into back seat. Next thing he knew, he was praying for his life. Fortunately, they ripped him off but let him go.

its generally advised to have someone pick you up in Manila. The taxis are just too erratic.



I was catching up on the news this morning and found a partial answer to my own question. It appears that Lucio Tan is trying to muscle his way back into the picture (this would be bad news given PR's track record at T2) and the German group has lowered its payoff demand to less than $.50 on the dollar.

These people have been wrangling for months. Virtually nothing gets done. :rolleyes:

I find this thread strange. Personally I have never had a problem picking up an airport taxi (used to be Nissan, now the only airport taxis available) and getting taken to whatever hotel I am staying at in Makati... Yes the taxi from the airport is 3 times the price of the one to the airport, but otherwise I have no major issue.

I find this thread strange. Personally I have never had a problem picking up an airport taxi (used to be Nissan, now the only airport taxis available) and getting taken to whatever hotel I am staying at in Makati... Yes the taxi from the airport is 3 times the price of the one to the airport, but otherwise I have no major issue.

technically, you could feed a family for a week with what the airport taxis are charging. If you're from Manila, picking up someone from the airport has become one of those "family obligations". Most people have a family member or sixteen pick them up.