THE Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday expressed confidence that it can meet its visitor arrivals target from the United States in 2019, as local transport agencies address the safety concerns of the US government about the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
In a Viber message, DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning Benito C. Bengzon Jr. told the BusinessMirror, “We are confident that our authorities are capable of addressing the issues raised in the public notice [of the US government agencies].” He added, the DOT is targeting arrivals from the US to reach 1.2 million in 2019.
The travel advisory comes at a time when foreign tourists, especially from the US, come to the Philippines for the Christmas holiday season.
The US is among the Philippines’s largest sources of tourists, with many of the visitors being Americans of Filipino descent or overseas Filipino workers. From January-to-October this year, visitor arrivals from the US rose by 8.34 percent to 850,735, putting the market in third place, following South Korea and China. (See, “7.2M Foreign tourists seen by year-end—DOT,” in the BusinessMirror, December 14, 2018.)
The US Department of Homeland Security extended a Christmas Day surprise to the Philippine government by warning travelers of the security risks in flying in and out of the Naia, the gateway to Northern Luzon and the Greater Metro Manila Area.
In a news statement, the DHS said Naia, “does not maintain and carry out effective security consistent with the security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization.” Icao is an agency of the United Nations that codifies policies that govern the global aviation industry and air transport agencies.
The DHS added: “This determination was based on assessments by a team of security experts from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).”
In response, the DOT assured the international community, that “the Philippines remains a safe haven for our visitors and residents alike,” even as it respects the pronouncement of the DHS and findings of the TSA.
“The management and security officers of the Manila International Airport Authority, together with the Department of Transportation under the leadership of Secretary [Arthur P.] Tugade, have committed to positively address this concern. We are confident in their capabilities to handle this issue and we are ready to help them in any way to expedite the resolution,” the DOT said in its own news statement.
The agency said it was closely coordinating with the Philippine National Police and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, which is tasked to oversee our aviation security.
“Both agencies have repeatedly assured the DOT of their readiness to assess and respond to threats to ensure the safety and security of our tourists, both domestic and international,” the tourism agency stressed.
Due to the TSA report, the DHS instructed airlines issuing passage between the US and Manila to notify their passengers in writing about the TSA findings. “The advisory must be placed prominently at all US airports that provide regular service to the Naia.”
Another airport that services flights from the US is the Mactan International Airport. It is not covered by the travel advisory.