Air passengers going through the country’s airports could face lesser travel hassles with the proposed implementation of reducing security checks to only one, once the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines approves the new policy of the Office of Transportation Security.
“We will make the travel experience more pleasant with balanced security measures,” OTS administrator Ma. O Aplasca said as his office proposed the removal of the initial security check at airports.
The proposed one security checkpoint in all airports managed by the CAAP already underwent a successful dry run on December 1 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
If CAAP director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo will approve its implementation in all 42 airports of the country, the initial security check will be removed by early next year.
Aplasca and Tamayo have discussed the matter, and the former will be submitting the OTS assessment and recommendation for evaluation.
The one security check policy is currently implemented at NAIA Terminals 2 and 4, while the Iloilo International Airport is also ready to remove the initial check.
Redundant security checks at airports may provide an extra layer of security, but it also presents an additional inconvenience for travelers who see having to go through security checkpoints multiple times as unnecessary and a waste of time.
Airports in other countries have shown that it is possible to provide the same, if not better security with lesser but efficient and well run checkpoints. If it is proven to be doable in the Philippines, such a simple policy change could already be considered a major airport upgrade that would certainly be appreciated by the millions of domestic and international travelers who use those critical facilities every year.
We wish OTS and the CAAP officials the best of luck as they mull this proposal to make Philippine airport experience significantly better for travelers in one fell swoop.*
