MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will likely fail to meet its goal of attracting 5 million foreign tourists a year by 2010 due to poor transport links, according to Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants to significantly boost tourism by the time she leaves office in 2010 but, despite pristine beaches and an English-speaking population, the country remains a bit player in the holiday market.

Durano said he was frustrated that the lack of road links and suitable airports prevented the Philippines, with its more than 7,000 islands, from taking off as a major tourism player.

“Our existing destinations are more than the number of destinations that our competitors can offer, but we have to build up our capacity,” he said.

A new terminal for Manila’s international airport, originally set to open in late 2002, remains unused due to a legal dispute as well as structural concerns. It was designed to handle 13 million passengers a year.

Sen. Richard Gordon Tuesday toured the mothballed Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) to check on the status of repair work and to encourage airport officials to pursue the planned partial domestic operation at the terminal.

According to officials of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), there will be a test run next month at NAIA 3 for a few domestic flights of Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines’ budget brand PAL Express.

Airport development and corporate affairs chief Tirso Serrano said MIAA is set to hold on Friday a simulation of passenger processes—including check-in, security screening, baggage claim—with the participating local carriers.

“With rising fuel prices, I anticipate that international tourism will lessen. Airlines are now charging for baggage, so we have to focus on domestic tourism. The opening of this terminal for domestic flights will be good for domestic tourism,” Gordon said.

This is the fifth time MIAA opened the terminal for outsider inspection this year.

The Congress oversight and transportation committees visited NAIA 3 several times, and the Joint Foreign Chambers visited the terminal most recently for a private tour.

When asked about the collapsed ceiling, Serrano, MIAA’s development and corporate affairs chief, said that it’s “85 percent complete.”

MIAA had twice postponed planned openings of the terminal in 2006 and 2007 because of structural defects traced to the March 27, 2006 incident, where a gypsum board ceiling at the terminal’s arrival area collapsed.

The agency’s private engineering consultants advised against last year’s planned partial opening because of “life safety risks” found around the terminal, a concern that MIAA officials said were being remedied. With a report from Reuters