What airport authorities say about ‘barangay’ send-offs

Cebu Pacific check-in counters at NAIA Terminal 3 (Mattun0211 / Wikipedia)

MANILA – Looks like Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) authorities will just have to accept the Filipino tradition of bringing big crowds to the airport to see off or welcome home a friend or a relative.

“It is really a concern because it is congesting the terminals and it becomes a safety issue. But there is little we can do because it is a Filipino tradition. It is truly Pinoy. So we have to make adjustments,” Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said

He noted that the habit of bringing a huge group of friends when sending off or welcoming home a relative has been a tradition in the country.

To ensure the safety of passengers and non-passengers in the airport, airport authorities came up with several plans.

One is to set aside areas that can accommodate greeters. This is to make sure that those non-passengers joining the send-off or welcoming team will not be loitering around the place.

“We have to adapt to this practice because very few countries have this kind of send-off or welcoming parties,” Honrado said.

The provision for greeters is already included in the Naia terminal 1 rehabilitation plan which is worth P1.3-billion.