Probe mulled on long OFW queues in airports
THE chairman of the House Committee on Transportation on Friday pressed the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ) to determine the cause of the long lines of Filipino passengers and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the airports and address the problem immediately.
Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop (2nd District), transportation panel committee chair, said the implementation of the eArrival Card, in place of the One Health Pass (OHP) that was previously required, should have made the arrival of OFWs and returning Filipinos more convenient, not more difficult and miserable.
“The House Committee on Transportation under the leadership of Speaker Martin G. Romualdez is seriously considering conducting a congressional probe on this if the MIAA and the DOH-BOQ do not address this immediately,” Acop said.
“Bakit ba nangyayari pa ito? Hindi ba dapat ay mas maginhawa ang buhay ng mga pasahero kasi may eArrrival Card na? Bakit mahaba pa din ang pila at tila mas pinahirap ang proseso para sa mga umuuwing Pilipino?” Acop added.
Complaints flooded the airports recently as Filipino passengers endure long lines at the airports upon arrival.
Acop said even his colleagues at the House of Representatives conveyed their disappointment when they saw the long lines at the airports with their own eyes.
“VIP treatment dapat ang treatment natin sa mga returning OFWS dahil sa tulong nila sa ating ekonomiya. Pero nakakalungkot masaksihan na pauwi na lang sila sa kanilang pamilya eh dito pa sila sa sariling airport natin mahihirapan,” he said.
“MIAA and DOH-BOQ should immediately address this. Hindi pwedeng patagalin ang ganitong klaseng paghihirap ng ating mga pasahero,” Acop stressed.
It was the Department of Tourism which proposed to remove the OHP because of the inconvenience it gave returning Filipinos at the airports.
“Pero parang pareho lang kung hindi man mas malala itong eArrival Card. MIAA and DOH-BOQ should comprehensively review its implementation and resolve the problems. Otherwise, we will be forced to conduct a probe on this,” Acop said.
“Magpa-pasko pa naman. Dadami pa ang uuwing Pilipino sa ating bansa. Ayaw natin na lumala ang haba ng mga pila sa ating airports,” Acop added.
