Senator Raffy Tulfo called on airline companies to offer special rates or discounts to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the technical glitch at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines.
Tulfo stated that it would be unfair for the OFWs to bear the costs of the fault or negligence of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for the maintenance of their CNS/ATM system.
Tulfo also pointed out that many OFWs only come home once or even less often in a year, and the money they had planned to use for souvenirs or supporting their families is now being spent on airfare.
“It would be unfair for our OFWs to absorb the fault or negligence of CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) for the maintenance of their CNS/ATM system,” Tulfo said.
“Marami sa kanila isang beses lang o mas malimit pa makauwi sa isang taon. Yung pera na sana pangpasalubong o di kaya pang suporta sa kanilang pamilya ay pilitang napunta na lang sa pamasahe,” the lawmaker added.
Tulfo stated that the increase in prices was due to the demand-based algorithm following the technical glitch.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said that around 60 OFWS left the country on Wednesday while around 200 are billeted in hotels while waiting for their rescheduled flights.
“Nung tinanong kasi ako kung ilan pa yung possibly nasa hotel, so ang estimate ko kahapon, nung sumagot ako was 200. Pero hindi ko ibig sabihin na wala silang rebooking. Lahat sila nakakuha ng rebooking, nung mga nai-hotel natin, nung gabi rin nayon noong petsa uno,” Cacdac said.
“It’s just that, they needed a place to stay. At tinanong nila kami, kami’y nakapag-rebook pero January 4,5, or 6 ang petsa ng alis, kami ba ay maiho-hotel ng DMW at OWWA until those dates? So malinaw naman ang direktiba ni Secretary Toots Ople at ni Admin Arnell Ignacio, nagpapasalamat kami sa kaniya, na yes, sila’y pwedeng mai-billet muna until their flight dates,” he added.
Cacdac said that labor attaches abroad will help Filipinos explain to their employers the incident that took place at the airport that led to the halting of almost 300 flights and 60,000 passengers stranded.
“May instruction na rin si Secretary Toots sa kanyang mga labor attaches all over the world na tumulong sa pagpapaliwanag sa mga employers,” Cacdac added.
Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople has ordered Philippine posts abroad and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to continue providing assistance to OFWs who were affected by the flight disruptions that occurred yesterday in various Philippine international airports.
“The DMW and OWWA as its attached agency will continue to assist affected OFW passengers until all flight schedules have been rebooked and are on track,” Ople said in a statement.
The DMW chief issued the order as flight schedules across the country’s airports began shifting to normal operations.
