2.6% holds 97.4% hostage

During that season when airline passengers and media where ganging up on budget airlines and airport services, I was one of many who wholeheartedly supported the proposed integration of “airport terminal fees” into the airline ticket. At the time the idea was just a minor add on to the many laments of airline passengers who had a long list of improvements they wanted made. For many travellers who simply want to get through check-in with the least amount of delay and inconvenience, getting the terminal fee booth out of the way was significant especially in our very small airports where flights tend to get bunched up within several hours.

To the government’s credit, a number of the passenger demands for improvement were acted on. One of this was the removal of taxes imposed on foreign carriers like KLM who had discontinued their direct flights from Manila to Amsterdam because of the “protectionist” taxes. Another was the drafting of a Passengers Bill of Rights that states what travellers can expect and demand from airlines. Of course all that is only good if the government and the CAAP can enforce the rules.

Recently, DOTC and NAIA authorities attempted to implement one of the demands of travellers, which was the integration of the airport terminal fee upon purchase of their ticket. However, the attempt was blocked by a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that Party-list Congressman Roy Seneres obtained, to protect the interest and convenience of Filipino overseas workers. Seneres and the OFWs are not happy about the idea that if they bought their tickets on-line or outside of the Philippines, they would initially be charged the terminal fee and would have to go through the trouble of claiming a refund upon check-in at a Land Bank booth inside NAIA or at the MIAA building after their arrival from abroad.

While I sympathize with the OFWs who simply want to get out or go home, I find the TRO and the actions of Congressman Seneres too limited in perspective. Based on figures provided by the NAIA, a total of 7,671,643 people passed through the NAIA terminals in 2013. Out of that 2,050,103 passengers were entitled to exemptions for payment of the terminal fee and travel tax. That leaves a total of 5,621,540 passengers who are not exempted and have to line up to pay the terminal fee on a “face to face” basis, making us the only country that does so.

What is even more interesting is the fact that out of the 2,050,103 passengers entitled to exemptions, only 197,569 bought their tickets abroad or online.  The rest are already exempted at purchase. So what’s happening now is that 7,474,074 passengers, the 97.4% overwhelming majority of passengers will continue paying fees and will continue to be inconvenienced, delayed and held hostage for the benefit of the 2.6% of passengers whose employers are supposed to be paying for their travel requirements in the first place. While we all want the best for OFWs particularly domestic helpers, it is not a bloody sacrifice to go 15 minutes early to the airport to make time to claim their refund.

Every time my wife goes home to the Netherlands she makes the time to claim back taxes paid for goods purchased and taxed in the country but are refundable at the airport for non-residents. It is no big sacrifice if you want to get back the money, but if seven million plus people have to line up just so you don’t have to, that’s a bit unfair. If the government has to maintain people and facilities to do a job that can automatically be done by travel agents, why not? Yes the OFWs are entitled to benefits, but politicians should avoid promoting a wrong sense of entitlement especially at the majority’s expense.  Perhaps, our Senators and Congressmen should simply pass a law for such integration and one that requires government agencies to determine and pass on jobs and services that should be with the private sector. 

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Here’s a shout out to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo and his team. There has been a number of complaints and commentaries about the quality and lifespan of Philippine made car batteries. In particular, many expats and car enthusiasts have been discussing common observations that Philippine made batteries don’t last a year or do not last much longer than the warranty the consumer pays for.

These observations were never vocalized as they have been in the past two months and one has to wonder if battery makers have developed the technology for obsolescence where they can calculate exactly how many months before a car battery dies. It is amazing that if you pay for a one-year warranty the battery dies between the 13th or 14th month.

While the DTI has its heart close to chicken, pork and pandesal, few people seem to take note of the fact that car batteries have become even more expensive in spite of the fact that most of the car battery parts are being recycled locally. This is why when you replace your battery the store willingly offers you the measly sum of P300 while they sell you the same new model for P4,500! Some recyclers are making a fortune but no one has raised the flag for the DTI to notice. I hope they do so now.

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I’ve just received my second invitation to a Christmas party and this reminds me of corporate Christmas gifts that will soon be making their way to the homes and offices of people. This early on may I humbly counsel the gift givers to PLEASE don’t make your Christmas the equivalent of blatant advertising or promotion. In the past years, I’ve received some very nice looking or useful corporate gifts only to be ruined by logos and company names that are so visible you can’t even use them. If you must do that, place the name or logo on the bottom of the product. It’s supposed to be a gift not a marketing tool.