Court backs OFWs in airport terminal fee row
Staff Report
MANILA - A group of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have praised a recent decision by a Pasay City court preventing the Manila airport from automatically adding an airport terminal fee on airline ticket prices.
On Wednesday, the Pasay Regional Trial Court issued a temporary restraining order against the Manila International Airport Authority’s (MIAA) new order integrating the airport terminal fee into the cost of an international airline ticket. The court called it “unenforceable”, mainly due to its lack of publication.
“We are happy with the court’s decision on the issue of airport terminal fee integration. It is definitely a victory not only for us but also, most importantly, for the millions of hardworking Filipino workers abroad,” the group, #NoTo550 Coalition, said in a statement.
MIAA had issued a memorandum in October that it will be charging passengers, including OFWs, P550 (AED 45) as terminal fee integrated into airline tickets of international passengers.
The #NoTo550 Coalition questioned the move, saying that the fees levied on OFWs are illegal under rules safeguarding the rights y OFWs. The group said they want the government to ultimately declare MIAA’s plan as illegal.
The #Noto550 Coalition is made up of OFW Family Partylist, the Blas F. Ople Policy Centre, PinoyExpats/OFW Blog Awards, the United Filipino Seafarers, Philippine Migrants’ Rights Watch, the Centre for Migrant Advocacy, among others.
