DOTC chief downplays NAIA woes

MANILA, Philippines - Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya yesterday took up the cudgels for the personnel of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 after the employees were tagged anew for being impolite.

“I don’t believe that we are impolite. We have yet to see an uncourteous public servant. There are some rotten eggs, but I don’t think it should be a fair, general description of our airport personnel,” Abaya said after defending the P54.5-billion budget for next year of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) that supervises the country’s airports.

According to Abaya, he has talked to NAIA general manager Jose Angel Honrado who had also downplayed the report.

On a positive side, Abaya said the news report also recognized that the Philippines has been trying to expand, rehabilitate and construct a new airport.

Abaya was asked to react to the report that NAIA terminal 1 was again classified as among the world’s worst airports, based on the US website The Cheat Sheet.

He said that the Philippines is being compared to other bigger and congested airports such as the Charles de Gaulle in Paris, Los Angeles International Airport, Italy’s Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport and many more.

The report said NAIA earned the notoriety of being one of the worst airports in the world in 2013 based on a survey by travel website Sleeping in Airports. Travelers have complained of discourteous airport staff despite Filipinos being known for their hospitality.