By John Rey Saavedra/PNA
CEBU CITY — With the opening of the Mactan Cebu International Airport’s (MCIA) Terminal 2 to cater to passengers of international flights, the airport management is planning to open a new and separate Heroes’ Lounge for soldiers and policemen.
Avigael Ratcliffe, head of Corporate Affairs and Branding Department of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), in a statement, said the Heroes’ Lounge will accommodate members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who will be taking international flights.
The airport, Ratcliffe said, has an existing Heroes’ Lounge in Terminal 1 that operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“It still accommodates cops and soldiers travelling beyond the operating hours,” she noted.
Ratcliffe said the Heroes’ Lounge is furnished with comfortable seats, television, and designated flight information display system (FIDS), and serves refreshments, such as coffee and water but no alcoholic beverage, with reading materials readily available.
The management assigns an attendant to attend to the needs of the soldiers and police who use the facility at Terminal 1. However, the attendant’s duty hours are only from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“GMCAC, together with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, highly value the sacrifices of the members of the country’s armed forces and the police officers in protecting the country. To show our support and appreciation, Heroes Lounge is made available for them free of charge, so they can comfortably stay while waiting for their flight to their next assignment or for their flight home to their families,” Ratcliffe said.
Family members traveling with the soldiers and police, as well as retired personnel are also welcome to use the lounge, she said.
“The criteria for the use of the Heroes’ Lounge come from Malacañang and, currently, the criteria only cover Filipino armed forces and police,” she added.
Ratcliffe said after President Rodrigo Duterte directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in 2016 to open a Heroes’ Lounge to cater to the country’s military and police forces, GMCAC immediately complied by opening a similar facility.
Although there was no formal launch, the lounge was immediately made available for the use of uniformed personnel.
Based on records, about 900 uniformed personnel used the Heroes’ Lounge in 2018, Ratcliffe said.
