Making a big difference

WHILE queueing at immigration upon my arrival at Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport ( NAIA) recently, I found it sad that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) — our “modern day heroes” — coming home for Christmas are not getting the heroes’ welcome

After traveling for four to 18 hours, they are treated to a long sweltering temperatures inside at the immigration counter from such chaotic queues is like trying that such could be avoided if there were sufficient signs for directions and the entire immi that time indicated inadequate planning to accommodate the surge in the number of arriving

If my count is right, there are at NAIA Terminal 3, but only about six were manned when I arrived, and a couple of them Based on the large crowd I saw gathered before the immigration counters, there could have been as many as five flight arrivals holders had to wait a lot longer from their queues, while foreign

I understand that making it convenient for foreign tourists is a way for us to show our hospitality and encourage tourism, but I cannot help but ask: Who foreigners, or the OFWs, who also have their own designated Filipino hospitality if you cannot even make your own country this hospitality rather insincere, for how could you be hospitable to others if you’re not hospitable

In other countries where I’ve been, the experience is the op - gapore, for example, even our fellow Filipinos get to experience the express lane accorded they have already obtained the other foreign passport holders may not be given priority, they can conveniently queue up in the ambience and the highly be done at our airports for greater

The struggle for the arriving passenger does not end at the immigration area; it is just the the long queues, passengers are lucky, their luggage could Otherwise, the damage could be severe, and worse, stuff from their

After collecting their luggage, they again face a huge crowd of people waiting at the lobby for family or friends among the arriving passengers, blocking experience could just be a foretaste of the inconvenience that and the heat as they step out of the airport premises and into the

NAIA 3 is relatively new but as you may have experienced, the elevators next to the covered parking area look as though they there is nothing pleasant about

There appeared to be some improvement in the airport as it looked when I arrived, but clearly a third world country is not an excuse for having a poorly oper could do a good job of improving the facilities and the systems of operation there, and make a big difference in the airport experience of passengers and mentality that continues to pull “Puede na ang

puede” Can the number of arriving passengers, including foreigners, be predicted using inputs from the various airline companies using our airports so the management can prepare to cope with demand for better passenger passport holders use the foreign passport lane when there are only

If the toilets are dirty, why not hire a cleaning service to main unemployed among the poor giving them alms, why don’t we train them to be maintenance people and give them wages to be able to solve two problems: unemployment and the poor

This seems like a simple exercise of management and leadership skills and care for our fellow Filipinos, the OFWs, who are

The quality of our airports may be far below the international standards, but it doesn’t have to a Third World country, the Philippines can make a difference in the global traveler’s airport experi if managed competently by those who would put the welfare and interest of visiting passengers, the showroom of warm hospitality for which Filipinos are known all - nel and staff who use not only their brains, but also their hearts in making sure foreign visitors and homebound Filipinos are accorded a pleasant, comfortable

If we cannot give top priority to our fellow Filipinos who are arriving, we can, at least, make their return convenient and excit famous Filipino brand of hospi