On Oct. 1, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will implement a policy integrating the terminal fee in all airline tickets, which means passengers won’t have to line up for the physical payment of such fees in designated counters in our international airports.
The fee itself costs 550 pesos per passenger, and is meant to augment the national budget for the care and maintenance of all airports. Officials of MIAA admit that the policy has an effect on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose tickets were purchased online or abroad. The airport management said that for such tickets, a system has yet to be put in place for airline companies and travel agencies based outside of the Philippines to recognize who are the OFWs and who are ordinary passengers.
Why does this matter? Under Philippine law, Filipino migrant workers are deemed exempted from paying such terminal fees upon presentation of proof from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that they are indeed OFWs. Such proof is now defined as the Overseas Employment Certificate issued by the POEA to all newly-hired migrant workers and those returning for temporary visits to the Philippines (“Balik-Manggagawa” or “Returning Workers”).
Here is the exact wording of the law: “Exemption from Travel Tax, Documentary Stamp and Airport Fee. - All laws to the contrary notwithstanding, the migrant workers shall be exempt from the payment of travel tax and airport-fee upon proper showing of proof entitlement by the POEA.” One wonders how a law can be altered through a MIAA memorandum circular despite its impact on millions of Filipinos working overseas.
According to the new airport policy, Filipinos working abroad with online or overseas air ticket purchases will have a separate counter in all international airports in the Philippines to get a refund of their terminal fees. For MIAA, this is sufficient compliance with the existing law since only overseas workers are entitled to such refunds.
Such an interpretation does not sit well with overseas workers and advocates of migrant workers’ rights. An online petition through www.change.org/ph initiated by Global OFW Voices against the new airport policy has garnered more than 3,000 supporters. A group of overseas Filipino bloggers known as PEBA, also used memes and social cards using #noto550 in voicing their objection to the integration of the terminal fee.
Kenji Solis, one of the founders of PEBA, objected to the new policy citing lack of direct consultations with the OFWs.
Indeed, this writer voiced the same concern in a recent meeting with officials of the airport authority since the integration policy will take effect on Oct. 1. They promised to launch an information campaign about the new policy through their public information unit. So far, no such media blitz has taken place.
Will the Philippine government listen to the voices of global Filipinos? This will be known after a crucial meeting set by OFW advocates including this writer with Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya on Sept. 24. Certainly, a moratorium on this new policy pending consultations with OFWs is a reasonable request.
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