Demolition of Philippine Village Hotel set to pave way for NAIA Terminal 5

Manila: A "ghost" hotel here is set to be demolished soon to pave the way for a new passenger and cargo terminal at the congested airport.

The new facility, to be called Terminal 5, will be built over what is now the Philippine Village Hotel complex.

The hotel, abandoned for more than 20 years, has been a subect of a court battle after it was claimed by a private company. Now, it is back in government hands.

The New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC), concessionaire of Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) led by tycoon Ramon S. Ang, is set to kick off with the demolition.

The move forms part of a grand plan to push forward with build a fifth terminal and help decongest the NAIA.

NNIC General Manager Lito Alvarez announced in a press conference on Thursday that demolition work is scheduled to start on April 21, shortly after the Holy Week.

“By April 21, we will begin demolishing the Philippine Village Hotel,” Alvarez said. He confirmed that the company has obtained all necessary permits from relevant government agencies to proceed.

The construction of Terminal 5 is part of NNIC’s $3-billion investment commitment to upgrade and modernise the country’s primary aviation gateway since taking over its operations and management in September 2024.

“The demolition will take about five months. After that, we will begin building the new terminal—Terminal 5,” Alvarez added.

He projected that the terminal will be completed within two to three years.

Earlier, NNIC President Ramon Ang, also known by his initials "RSA", said Terminal 5 is expected to accommodate up to 35 million passengers annually, a move aimed at easing congestion at NAIA.

Alvarez stressed the urgency of the expansion, noting that NAIA was originally designed to handle only 32 to 34 million passengers each year.

“In 2024 alone, we served around 51 million passengers. This year, we expect that number to rise to 54 million,” he said.