The United States Transportation Security Administration (US-TSA) has invited airport security officials from Manila for a two-week training in Indianapolis as part of a partnership aimed at improving security at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Office for Transportation Security chief Undersecretary Ma.O Aplasca led the Philippine delegation which include Transport Security Accreditation and Training Management Service director Michael Africa, Accreditation and Certification Division Chief Josephine De Ocampo,
National Capital Region – Deputy Regional Chief Fredelito Barcenas, NAIA Terminals 1 and 2 chiefs Monsour Oademis and Fatima Cajilog, and Shift Supervisor John Jeffrey Valdez.
The training program, which started on Monday, aims at showcasing TSA Indiana’s successful operational model and be able to share best practices on threat detection, operational leadership, scheduling, crisis management, and screening, which can be implemented and replicated in Philippine airports.
“TSA Indiana is thrilled to partner with IAA and other local stakeholders to showcase the top-tier security practices in place at Indianapolis International Airport and help our international partners acquire useful knowledge they can apply back home in the Philippines,” said TSA Indiana Federal Security Director Aaron Batt.
The IND-MNL Airport Partnership Program is the first of its kind, and the TSA is vying to expand the program in the future to include other domestic and international airports.
The initiative is designed to facilitate the exchange of information, best practices, lessons learned, and airport-to-airport technical assistance to achieve both domestic and international benefits.
