An executive of the Office for Transportation and Security said that screening checkpoints will be installed at the Ninoy-Aquino International Airport (NAIA), soon before the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
In an interview with Philippine News Agency, OTS spokeswoman Kim Marquez stated that they had received complaints from passengers who were found with prohibited items but could not return to the check-in counters because their passports had already been stamped by BI.
“The OTS suggested security screening be done first.” Marquez explained that when they need to check something in, Immigration will not let them go back to the airline counters.
She added that once the screening is completed prior to Immigration, passengers can choose to have their prohibited items checked in rather than confiscated.
Marquez clarified no one is offloaded for having prohibited items, as OTS can only confiscate.
A liquid container that is larger than 100 ml, whether it is filled or not, would be an example. It will be confiscated during the final check.
She said that the operator New NAIA Infra Corp., (NNIC), had discussed the possibility of swapping the OTS and BI station.
The NNIC fully supports the move. Marquez said that there is no set date for when this would be implemented, as it will require the movement of security screening machines like X-rays.
The PNA was told by BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval that this is a positive development for both parties.
Sandoval stated that the BI would support any action taken by the airport authorities to improve this area for the convenience and comfort of travelers.
In 2024, NAIA, the main gateway of the country, served 50.1 million passengers. The total was 10.43 per cent higher than 2023, and 5.8 per cent more than the prepandemic tally of 2019.
The airport will also handle 293,488 flight in 2024, which is 4.83 percent higher than the flights in 2023.
