Another blow to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)?
The United States’ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an advisory today warning travelers about the Manila airport’s security.
In a statement published on the DHS website, it said that NAIA “does not maintain and carry out effective security consistent with the security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).”
According to the statement, this finding was based on assessments by a team of security experts from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The DHS has instructed airlines that issue tickets between the U.S. and Manila to notify passengers about their advisory in writing.
It has also required the display of the advisory in U.S. airports with regularly scheduled flights to Manila.
Based on a GMA News report from yesterday, it looks like some airports have already started to do this.
According to the report, a Filipino posted a photo on social media that shows the advisory in an airport in Hawaii.
The DHS’ statement says that they, together with the Department of State, Department of Transportation, and TSA representatives have been working with the Philippine government to improve security in NAIA.
The Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) has also issued a statement about the DHS’s travel advisory.
Posted on its Facebook page yesterday, the DOTr said that it is prioritizing the “implementation of strict security measures” in NAIA.
https://www.facebook.com/DOTrPH/posts/1268601573278976
As an answer to recommendations by the TSA, the DOTr said that new security equipment like X-ray machines, walk-through metal detectors, and alarm systems will be installed in NAIA by the second quarter of 2019.
There will also be changes with regards to the airport’s staff.
Newly hired airport personnel will undergo a background check, including neighborhood checks for those implementing security control.
All Manila International Airport Authority access pass holders will also be required to submit new clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation.
NAIA personnel will also undergo retraining to change the airport’s “security culture.”
NAIA only recently dropped its “worst airport” tag last year when it was removed from the list of worst airports by travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports. It had been part of the list for several years and even topped it for two years.
The U.S. is a popular destination for Filipinos and many Filipinos living in the U.S. land in NAIA when returning home.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, the U.S. has the largest number of Filipinos living abroad, which was recorded at 1.9 million in 2016.
