OFW Party List Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino filed House Resolution 1615, urging the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into pressing issues affecting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals.
The resolution seeks to look into and address the reported concerns regarding the presence of pests and vermin, traffic congestion within the airport complex and adjacent areas, and the long queues at immigration checking counters, which impact the convenience and health of traveling passengers and tarnish the country’s image on the international stage.
The call for an inquiry comes in the wake of viral videos and complaints highlighting incidents of bed bug bites, and sightings of rats and cockroaches within NAIA terminals. While these incidents initially highlight the inefficiency with the airport’s pest control and maintenance systems, they raise more significant concerns regarding public health safety.
Adding to the compounded problems in NAIA is its negative reputation globally, which in turn affects the nation’s honor and the prospects of the Philippine tourism industry.
“We recognize that the officials of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) immediately addressed the complaints on bed bugs, rats, and cockroaches in NAIA. However, given the repeated problems in NAIA and its tag as one of the world’s worst airports, we have to look into the compounded issues, more so since NAIA has revenues to address basic operational concerns such as sanitation and congestion. Bugbog na yun imahe ng ating bansa bilang tourism destination dahil sa paulit-ulit na isyu sa NAIA na siyang main gateway ng ating turismo, at isa ding mahalagang susi sa ating labor migration bilang pinto ng migration corridors sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at mga host countries,” said Magsino.
The filed house resolution emphasized the significant role of NAIA in labor migration as air transport plays a crucial role in the migration corridors between a labor-sending country like the Philippines and the host country and vice versa.
Based on the records, the increasing passenger traffic at NAIA has led to congestion within the airport complex and surrounding roads. The airport’s passenger volume also reportedly exceeds its design capacity by 40%, leading to runway congestion and delayed flights. These result in travel inconvenience, fuel wastage, and risks of missed flight schedules, especially for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have to comply with strict deployment schedules and return-to-work orders.
“Sa Fiscal Year 2023, napabalitang umabot sa higit na 3 bilyong piso ang net income ng MIAA mula sa mga terminal fees, concession privileges, at aeronautical fees. Kaya’t tayo’y nagtataka kung bakit ang sanitation at traffic congestion sa palibot ng NAIA ay malaking isyu kung may pondo naman sa maayos na pagpapatakbo ng ating paliparan. Nais lamang natin malaman ang puno’t dulo nito upang magkaroon ng komprehensibong solusyon. Sa pagsalang ng hearing, mabibigyan din ng pagkakataon ang ating MIAA officials na ipaliwanag ang kanilang mga hakbang na ginagawa. In the end, we all just want to push for NAIA’s competitiveness as an international gateway and safeguard the interests of passengers, especially our OFWs,” said Magsino.
While plans for the establishment of a new international airport and the privatization of NAIA are underway, Magsino asserts that immediate measures must be taken to address maintenance and housekeeping deficiencies, streamline immigration processing, and enhance traffic routing within the airport premises.
