One of the most ambitious projects it’s about to take on is the rehabilitation and modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Continually ranked as one of the world’s worst airports, San Miguel Corporation, together with its partner, Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corporation, has, undoubtedly, a mountain to climb. They set a series of goals—immediate, short, and long-term all to the tune of P 170-billion.

As a frequent traveler, nothing much has changed in the condition of the airport about half a month into NNIC’s turnover. The same escalators don’t work and the bathrooms smell like a beer house’s on a Friday night. What has changed though is the amount you will have to pay for parking. In what’s considered by many as a very “un-malasakit move,” the first MIAA Administrative Order passed by NNIC is to increase the public parking rates by up to 400 percent.

In gist, the first two hours of parking costs P 50 now, up from P 40 from before. This is modest, considering how much something like Terminal 3’s neighboring Newport World Resorts (formerly Resorts World Manila) would charge. However, what comes as a big shock is the overnight rates. From P 300 a night, a 24-hour stay will now cost four-wheeled vehicles P 1,200.

Now, NNIC says the adjustments “are not intended to generate profit, but rather, to optimize parking for passengers.” In turn, they believe it will “create a more efficient and passenger-friendly airport experience.”

I’d like to give San Miguel Corporation and NNIC the benefit of the doubt, but you do have to understand the optics here. With no prior announcement or anything (not even a posting on the much-fangled New NAIA social media account), it has caught travelers such as myself off-guard. From a company being known for malasakit, some saw the surprising move as the very reason for any company’s existence: makapera (to make money).

Making matters worse, the pricing is gouging at its finest and shows just how out of touch NNIC’s finance people are with reality. If their reason is to adjust the parking fees to more appropriate levels today, P 300 in 2014, would be, inflation adjusted, equate to P 400 today. Even if we were to compare what P 300 would be worth in the year 2000, it would be P 700 today. In short, most view the increase in parking rates as quick way for San Miguel Corporation to recoup their investment. And remember, the new rates come with zero improvements to the current parking facilities. As it stands, NAIA’s parking areas are mostly decrepit with occasional stray dogs or even indigent beggars asking for alms. If NNIC came clean and admitted to needing to make money out of this, then that’s fine. But to say otherwise? Sorry, it’s all smoke and mirrors at this point.

No doubt, some have welcomed the move, especially since it will discourage the use of terminals as a long-term parking facility. However, hopefully the NNIC management understands that this move severely limits the already scarce transportation options to and from the airport that’s affordable, safe, and reliable. As someone who flys for work regularly and lives at the outskirts of Metro Manila, parking a car at the airport is the most convenient, and sometimes, the only option. In the past year, I tried using a taxi or a ride-hailing app like Grab. Let’s just say, the experience was nerve-racking. It’s the same experience for pilots or cabin crew who travel to and from NAIA on a regular basis. There are private options like Park ‘N Fly too, and if they keep their P 300-ish pricing intact, most would probably look at this as an alternative. Unfortunately, because they park cars off-site, sometimes it takes forever for their complimentary shuttle to arrive. What’s worse, the traffic by Domestic Road—where their facility is—is almost always snarled in traffic.

And remember, the new parking rates is just the tip of the iceberg. NNIC will be on a charging spree. This includes charging passenger higher airport fees by next year—up by 95 percent some cases. In any solid business case, people are willing to pay more if it comes with an experience that’s vis-à-vis to the amount they’re shelling out for. Right now, the Filipino public is paying more for the same old shit.