Airports to tighten security

MANILA -- The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) directed airport officials in the country to keep a tight watch on those who might sabotage with airport operations and communications.

The Philippine Airlines (PAL) also announced Saturday several contingency measures it is adopting in preparation for the transfer of its catering, ground handling and call center reservations units to third party service providers on October 1, 2011.

Caap Director General Ramon S. Gutierrez, in an advisory circular issued September 23, called on Caap-owned and operated airports, International Airport Authorities, government law enforcement and airport private security agencies to be alert in the light of continuing mass protests by PAL unions against the management.

He ordered that his directive be distributed to all airport managers, officers in charge and other ranking officials in all of the more than 80 Caap-operated airports around the country. The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) continued to defy the offer of airline management to accept the spin-off of its non-core units such as airport services, in-flight catering and call center reservations in a bid to make the airline lean and mean in the face of the continuing economic slowdown and high fuel prices eating into the airlines’ profit. PAL has offered to organize financial management seminars for workers affected by the spin-off to help workers properly manage and invest their separation benefits. The flag carrier has lined up a series of seminars to be conducted by financial experts to guide workers in managing their finances and encourage them to engage in other sources of livelihood to boost their income. "The separation packages our workers are guaranteed to receive must be handled judiciously to sustain them financially in the long-term. The financial experts' assistance is most timely to guide our workers during this transition period," according to PAL president Jaime Bautista. But Gerry Rivera, Palea president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa, insisted that the labor dispute can only be resolved if the PAL management retains all those affected by the spin-off. Palea members continued to hold protest action at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, where PAL maintains operations, and some eyewitnesses noted that some airline employees had engaged in verbal tussle against PAL volunteers who wanted to extend their help during peak traffic hours at the airline counters. In order to preclude inflicting damage to airport facilities, the Caap had come out with its directives, warning that those who violate the provisions of Caap Act are punishable by the same law. The charter said that “any person who destroys or seriously damage the facilities of the airport shall be subjected to imprisonment or a fine of not less than P50,000.” Also a person who “interferes with air navigation faces imprisonment of not more than three years and P50,000 fine.” Gutierrez said any incident related to the above offenses must be documented and immediately reported to the Caap for possible institution of criminal actions. Bautista reiterated that PAL management has to adopt the restructuring plan to save the airline and ensure the continuous employment of its remaining 5,000 employees. “The spin-off is meant to ensure the survival of our 70-year-old institution.” PAL has allocated about P2.5 billion in severance benefits for the workers of in-flight catering, ground-handling and call-center reservations. Meanwhile, PAL announced Saturday that their domestic flights will be reduced by about 30 percent while the international flights would be cut provisionally by 12 percent ahead of its long-awaited spin off/outsourcing program. In a statement, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said domestic routes with reduced flight frequencies on certain days involve 14 stations, namely:

* Cebu
* Davao
* Bacolod
* Iloilo
* Butuan
* Cotabato
* Cagayan de Oro
* Dipolog
* Kalibo
* Laoag
* Legazpi
* Tacloban
* Tagbilaran
* Zamboanga

On the other hand, the 11 international points to be affected by the flight frequency reduction are the following:

* Hong Kong
* Bangkok
* New Delhi
* Macau
* Singapore
* Los Angeles
* Vancouver
* Guam
* Sydney
* Melbourne (from Cebu)
* Incheon (from Cebu)

Apart from informing affected passengers, PAL has posted a complete and updated list of PAL flights. PAL urged its passengers to PAL reservations at 855-8888 or their favorite travel agent for inquiries. Villaluna said Malacañang, the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation and Communication, Manila International Airport Authority, Caap and Philippine National Police have been informed of the airline’s temporary flight reduction and other contingency measures. “PAL is adopting contingency measures during the transition period to shield its customers from unnecessary inconvenience and hassles. We’re not taking any chances. These measures will help alleviate the inevitable minor kinks in PAL’s service as we go through this difficult but necessary transition period,” Villaluna stressed. “PAL seeks the understanding of the flying public. We are grateful to the Manila International Airport Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, other government agencies and PAL’s corps of volunteers for their logistical support during this period,” she added.

Source: (PNA/Sunnex)

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