The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Monday US authorities have not issued new travel or security advisories against the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) or any other Philippine airport.
The agency’s statement follows the circulation of a social media post showing what appears to be an old 2018 travel advisory displayed at Sacramento International Airport in California.
DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon immediately wrote to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on this and asked that this be immediately clarified and the old advisory posted at the said airport be taken down.
The DOTr said it was discovered upon consultation with TSA authorities in Manila that TSA Sacramento may have mistakenly included the old travel advisory, which was issued in 2018 but lifted in 2019, in the airport monitors.
TSA confirmed that the erroneous information had been taken down at 9 a.m. Manila time on Sunday.
“We take these matters very seriously, this is why we immediately reached out to the TSA officials here in Manila and officially sought clarification, and if there was any truth to this, we requested that this be immediately taken down so as to prevent further confusion and anxiety for travelers to the Philippines,” Dizon said.
The 2018 travel advisory was lifted as early as August 2019, after extensive upgrades and close coordination with U.S. authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded its public advisory, acknowledging the Philippines’ full compliance with international security standards.
Since then, there have been no new advisories issued against NAIA or any Philippine airport, the DOTr said.
The DOTr and the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), the private operator of NAIA, said trhey are committed to ensuring the safety, security and integrity of NAIA and all airports across the country in upholding international aviation standards.
