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New NAIA Infrastructure Corp., in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, DHL Group, and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, conducted the second Get Airports Ready for Disaster Workshop for NAIA
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Over 40 participants from NAIA units, government agencies, and non-government organizations trained in disaster logistics, surge capacity assessment, and action planning
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NAIA is the fourth Philippine airport to complete the GARD program; previously Clark (2022), Laguindingan (2023), and Mactan-Cebu (2014, 2024)
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Participants conducted site visits to identify aircraft parking areas and relief supply staging locations, factoring in NAIA’s future development plans
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PDRF is pushing to expand GARD beyond major airports, targeting local trainer certification to reach smaller provincial airports nationwide
New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), DHL Group, and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), conducted the second Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) Workshop for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in April 2026.
More than 40 participants drawn from NAIA’s operating units, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations took part in the sessions, according to a press release from DHL.
NAIA holds a place in the program’s history as the first airport in the Philippines to undergo the GARD process when it launched globally in 2013. The April workshop makes NAIA the fourth Philippine airport to complete the program, following Clark International Airport in 2022, Laguindingan Airport in 2023, and Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which has gone through the process twice, in 2014 and 2024.
NNIC chief operating officer Ok Chul Shin said the exercise is central to the airport’s core mandate.
“Our responsibility is to make sure NAIA performs well in normal operations and is ready when the country needs it most. In a disaster, the airport becomes a critical link for moving relief goods, equipment, rescue teams and other urgent support. This workshop helps us review our facilities and processes against that responsibility,” he said.
Participants were trained in the GARD methodology, learning to identify and address bottlenecks in airport logistics under disaster conditions, assess surge capacity, and develop action plans to head off operational constraints. A site visit across NAIA’s facilities allowed teams to pinpoint potential aircraft parking areas and relief supply staging locations, with the airport’s planned expansion factored into the assessment.
“GARD demonstrates the power of global public private partnerships, where governments, businesses, and communities combine expertise to turn airports into vital connectors in times of crisis. Strengthening NAIA’s preparedness means strengthening the Philippines’ ability to deliver help when it matters most,” UNDP GARD global manager Ioana Creitaru said.
PDRF is pushing to take the program well beyond the country’s major gateways.
“Our grand vision is not to stop at four airports. With the help of DHL Group and UNDP, we are keen to train local trainers on the GARD methodology, so we can also run GARD workshops across all the other smaller airports in the country. Our communities are dependent on these smaller airports to bring goods and people in and out of the islands in times of disasters,” said PDRF chief resilience officer Guillermo Luz.
DHL Global Forwarding Philippines managing director Yvonne Lee pointed to the significance of the timing of the workshop.
“NAIA is undergoing a significant transformation, with new management, ambitious growth plans, and major developments ahead, including Terminal 4 this year and Terminal 5 in the coming years. As the airport grows, its importance during crises grows as well, making this workshop especially timely,” Lee said.
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The GARD program, established in 2009 as a global public-private partnership between UNDP and DHL Group, has been deployed across 70 airports in 31 countries. Its framework covers training airport personnel to manage the influx of goods and people during calamities, supporting local authorities in relief operations, and assessing the operational state of affected facilities.
