‘From worst airport to pest airport’

A senior citizen reader who is a retired diplomat sent me this short note asking what’s happening to our airport.

Says my letter sender:

“From the fourth worst airport in Asia to the pest airport in the world. Surely, your honor, we can do better than that! Anong nangyare sa bayan kong Pilipinas, lupain ng ginto’t bulalak? What’s happening to our country, general?”

Perhaps, my senior citizen reader has seen the airport during its glorious days.

It’s embarrassing indeed to learn about this infestation in the country’s main gateway – from bed bugs to cockroaches to a Remy-like rodent.

We hope this would be resolved soon because we can’t keep telling the world to Love the Philippines if the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) greets its passengers with such an embarrassing welcoming committee of pests.

Passengers, of course, should also do their part in keeping public spaces clean, neat and orderly.

The Manila International Airport Authority has threatened to blacklist the housekeeping and pest control contractors if they don’t shape up.

But I’m looking forward to a few months from now when the private sector takes over the airport.

A lawmaker suggested it may be a sabotage of sorts, something which also crossed my mind, because until now, there are still quarters questioning the results of the recent privatization of NAIA. There’s no lack of conspiracy theories in this nation of 114 million, after all.

But then again, maybe, it is what it is.

The pests are simply finding their way to NAIA because the airport has really seen better days.

Public expectations from the consortium led by tycoon Ramon Ang will be high, given all the problems besetting NAIA but I hope that indeed, the San Miguel Corp.-led group will be able to address the airport’s problems – big or small.

In a way, though, NAIA is a microcosm of our beloved country. Just look at what’s happening to Congress and in the halls of power today – chaotic and disorderly.

There’s still so much politicking with only a few weeks left before the March 22 Holy Week break.

It reminds of a quote by American writer Gore Vidal: Politics is made up of two words: “Poli” which is Greek for “many” and “tics” which are bloodsucking insects.

Ah, just like our airport, indeed.

De-escalate

The promise of de-escalation between the Philippines and China was really promising but it remains just that – a promise.

I heard about it in early January from our Philippine Ambassador to the United States Amb. Jose “Babe” Romualdez and true enough, in a joint statement later that month, Manila and Beijing announced a landmark agreement to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts through friendly talks on issues around the South China Sea.

“Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro and China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong held a frank and in-depth exchange of views on the situation while co-chairing the eighth meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in Shanghai on Wednesday,” the Philippines and China said on Jan. 17.

The DFA said both sides “agreed to calmly deal with incidents, if any, through diplomacy.”

Unfortunately, this promise of de-escalation has yet to be fulfilled.

On Tuesday, March 5, Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided in the disputed South China Sea and four Filipino crew members were injured in high-seas confrontations, the Associated Press’ Jim Gomez reported.

The report also said: “The Chinese coast guard ships and accompanying vessels blocked the Philippine coast guard and supply vessels off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and executed dangerous maneuvers that caused two minor collisions between the Chinese ships and two of the Philippine vessels.

“Philippine officials said the supply boat, manned by Filipino navy personnel, was later hit by water cannon blasts from two Chinese coast guard ships, shattering its windshield which injured at least four Filipino crew members.

“The Chinese coast guard, meanwhile, said in a statement that ‘it took control measures in accordance with the law against Philippine ships that illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef,’ the name Beijing uses for Second Thomas Shoal.”

Our Task Force-West Philippine Sea, for its part, said that China’s latest unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine Philippine rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal have put the lives of our people at risk and caused actual injury to Filipinos.

Before this latest incident happened, just two days ago, China called out Amb. Romualdez for his “China threat theory.”

“Inviting wolves into the house and engaging in small circles will not only not help resolve the differences in the South China Sea, but on the contrary will complicate the regional situation, and undermine regional peace and stability.”

But what happened in the high seas on Tuesday shows that indeed, as Amb. Romualdez said, the threat of “provocative actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia against Philippine vessels and personnel and Filipino fishermen” remains.

What’s worse is that the threat turned into an actual incident on Tuesday.

Perhaps, this issue will not be resolved in our lifetime but we really need to seriously and sincerely move forward with de-escalation while trying to come up with a more lasting solution.

In the meantime, I salute the brave men and women of the Philippine coast guard for risking their lives to guard our seas.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.