An official of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) believed that veiled greetings of airport personnel to passengers this Christmas season should stop.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal warned airport staff not to greet inbound passengers “Merry Christmas” while inspecting their bags as doing so could be seen as tantamount to extortion.
Monreal told Manila Bulletin he did not want to receive numerous complaints from travelers about this again.
“It will also ruin the good image of the Filipinos who are naturally hospitable, particularly to foreign visitors and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are returning to the country,” he said.
“But if you greet them without malice, that’s good. But if you are saying ‘Merry Christmas’ with your hands open, that’s a different story.”
