The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced the reactivation of the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee (IACC) to address concerns related to daily operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines tapped his Senior Assistant General Manager Beng Reyes as the chairperson of IACC, which is composed of airport officials and representatives of agencies from both the private and public sectors.
The committee will provide a platform for industry partners to engage with MIAA management and recommend ways to improve customer service.
Ines came up with the decision to revive the IACC following recent controversies involving theft, extortion, and pest problems at the country’s premier airport.
The presence of rats, cockroaches, and bedbugs on airport premises sparked criticisms from both netizens and business groups.
Ines has initiated measures to address the issue. He met with housekeeping and pest control service contractors to give them an ultimatum to perform according to their contracts or face being banned from future bidding.
Terminal administrators, service contractors, and health experts from the Bureau of Quarantine and MIAA Medical also convened to review the current state of sanitation services across all NAIA terminals.
The MIAA is set to revise the Terms of Reference (TOR) for service contracts, imposing stiffer and higher penalties for liquidated damages.
Reports of theft have surfaced recently. A British national and his Filipina wife lost a valuable sling bag after undergoing X-ray machine scanning at the departure area.
On Feb. 8, Ines ordered the dismissal of five members of the Airport Police Department for their alleged involvement in extortion. Prior to this, two other APD officers were suspended after they were caught traversing the exclusive Carousel Bus Lane along EDSA.
In September last year, some personnel of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) were investigated and suspended due to a series of thefts, involving security screening officers at the airport, including one who swallowed three $100 bills from a Chinese traveler departing Manila.
The incident also resulted in the resignation of then-OTS chief Mao Aplasca.
The case also prompted House Speaker Martin Romualdez to recommend a complete reorganization and suggested that the Department of Transportation replace the entire OTS workforce, and rehire only those who would pass a strict vetting process based on their honesty, efficiency, and integrity.