Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Eric Jose Ines mulls revocation of contract of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) pest control and housekeeping service provide for alleged sloppy performance.
A party-list lawmaker seeks a congressional inquiry into negative issues affecting two NAIA) terminals.
The reported presence of rats and bed bugs at the NAIA terminals 2 and 3 drew the ire of Ines who said the contractor assigned only eight personnel to each terminal.
“So, what I am saying is this is not enough. If only we could change this,” Ines said in a radio interview, adding that his office is currently summarizing the demands and reviewing the contracts to identify the lapses.
He indicated that the fault was not with the MIAA, but with the private contractor.
The MIAA was also thinking of prohibiting passengers from putting bags or luggage on the four-seater benches at the airport.
Ines clarified that the passengers will not be penalized, but the airport will strictly monitor it.
The food concessionaires were also reminded to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in their premises to avoid untoward incidents in the future.
Several air travelers have taken to social media to complain about being bitten by bed bugs in the departure area of NAIA Terminal 2.
Some passengers also reported having spotted a rat in Terminal 3.
Lawyer Chris Bendijo, MIAA head executive assistant, noted that that replacing the service provider might not be easy as it requires a bidding process as required by law.
He added however, that they will revisit their sanitation process and look at the service provider’s track record to see if there were any lapses with an eye on imposing sanctions.
Rep. Marissa Magsino filed House Resolution 1615 urging the appropriate committees to look into and address the reported concerns regarding the presence of pests and vermin, traffic congestion within the airport complex and adjacent areas, as well as the long queues at Immigration checking counters which affect the convenience and health of passengers, not to mention the adverse impacts on the country’s image in the international community.
Magsino’s request for an inquiry came 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,” Magsino said.
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, she added.
“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, Magsino said.
The 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 percent, 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.
“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,” the lady lawmaker stressed.
While plans for the establishment of a new international airport and the privatization of NAIA are underway, Magsino stressed immediate measures must be taken to address maintenance and housekeeping deficiencies, streamline immigration processing, and enhance traffic routing within the airport premises.