THE United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has directed airlines to advise passengers traveling to Manila that aviation security at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) does not meet international standards.
In a statement posted on its website on December 26, the DHS said a team of security experts from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who assessed Naia's security measures found that the airport "does not maintain and carry out effective security consistent with the security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)."
Read: Full DHS statement
The Philippines' Department of Transportation (DOTr), in reaction, assured that they were working on complying with the recommendations of the TSA team, which include: the installation of new equipment; the conduct of new background check procedures for newly hired airport personnel; and a change in the security culture among long-time Naia personnel.
The new equipment - X-ray machines, walk-through metal detectors, and alarm systems - are expected to be installed in the second quarter of 2019, the department said.
"While waiting for the delivery of needed security equipment, Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade has given direct instructions to implement manual interventions such as the hiring of additional MIAA-contracted guards 24/7," DOTr said in a statement.
The DOTr said procurement of the new equipment "is already under process, but this will take time because the items are not off-the-shelf and will require lead time for manufacturing and delivery following government rules and regulations."
The TSA team also recommended that new background check procedures include neighborhood and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) checks for those implementing security control, and submission of new National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances for all Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) access pass holders.
To address concerns about the security culture at Naia, the government has been conducting re-trainings to instill in all airport personnel the need to consistently implement security measures.
The DOTr said MIAA and the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) have been continuously working and coordinating with other international assessment bodies, including ICAO.
It noted that ICAO's latest security assessment found Naia "to be generally satisfactory with ICAO standards of safety and security," although there were additional recommendations on the implementation of a corrective action plan crafted by the MIAA and OTS.
The DHS advisory directed all airlines issuing tickets for travel between the US and Manila to advise passengers in writing about the inadequate security measures at the Naia, which it described as the "last-point-of-departure airport for flights to the United States."
Homeland Security also directed that their advisory be displayed prominently at all US airports that provide regularly scheduled service to Manila and that it be published in the Federal Register. (MVI/VoxPop Philippines)