PH CONSULATE LEARNS BEST PRACTICES IN RUNNING A WORLD-CLASS AIRPORT DURING TOUR OF SAN FRANCISCO INT’L AIRPORT
Consul General Neil Ferrer poses with Ivar Satero, San Francisco International Airport Director, (San Francisco PCG photo)
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – A seven-member delegation from the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco led by Consul General Neil Ferrer undertook a tour of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and met airport officials on 29 May 2024.
During the tour, the Consulate delegation met with several officials from the SFO Commission sharing relevant information on SFO’s operations covering air service development and marketing, guest services, concessions, and capital planning and sustainability.
Ivar Satero, SFO Airport Director, said that SFO is in the process of construction and renovation as it looks towards investing for the future given the return of passengers after the pandemic.
It was noted that the number of travelers from Asia has already returned to pre-pandemic levels with SFO ranking fourth among airports in the U.S. based on passenger traffic. Filipinos are ranked seventh based on travelers’ nationality utilizing SFO. The number of travelers is expected to increase in the next few years especially in 2026 due to upcoming events such as Super Bowl LX and the Soccer World Cup.
During the meeting, Consul General Ferrer said, “We look forward to sharing with Philippine authorities the best systems and practices employed by SFO as the Philippines expands its infrastructure by developing new airports and upgrading existing ones.” He also emphasized the important role of SFO in the growing exchanges between the Philippines and the United States. Having new direct flights between San Francisco and Manila facilitates the increased travel by Filipinos including high-ranking officials to and from the Philippines.
The delegation from the Consulate was also given updates and information on the ongoing renovations at the Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which will open to the public by mid-June 2024. With the opening of the other side of Terminal 1, it will bring post-security interconnectivity between the terminals of SFO.
Sustainability projects in SFO, which aim for zero energy, zero carbon, and zero waste, were also highlighted during the tour. SFO’s Terminal 1 uses only one-third of energy as compared to other terminal buildings. Plastic bottles and plastic food containers have been banned from their concessionaires. The terminal’s windows have dynamic glazing to regulate heat and cooling, and there are also touch-free, sensor-operated bottled water refilling stations, with three different temperatures, after the security checks. END
From left to right: Vice Consul Adrian Baccay; Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil; Consul General Neil Ferrer; SFO Manager for Government Affairs Dyanna Volek; and Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona. (San Francisco PCG photo)
Vice Consul Adrian Baccay, Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, SFO Senior Principal Property Manager Clarissa Mamaril, Consul General Neil Ferrer, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, and SFO Manager for Government Affairs Dyanna Volek pose in front of Mama Go’s, a Filipino restaurant inside SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1 (near Boarding Gate B18). (San Francisco PCG photo)
Engineer Kristin Allen, SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Project Manager, briefs the Consulate officials on the construction and innovation undertaken at SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1. (San Francisco PCG photo)
Some innovative features in Terminal 1: top left: all-gender restroom; top right: animal relief room; bottom: touch-free, sensor-operated bottled water refilling stations, with three different temperatures, after the security checks. (San Francisco PCG photos)
