I find this reminder from the author Max Ehrmann appropriate for my experience at NAIA 3 last May 15, when my friend, Marilyn Robles, and I went to Boracay.
We took Cebu Pacific . As the usual airport procedures, we had our bags go through the X-ray machine, loaded them in the trolley and proceeded to the check-in counter. We each had three bags: one for check-in, and two to be hand- carried.
As we were lining up at the Cebu Pacific counter, we prepared our tickets and ID. I panicked when I realized my handbag was not in the trolley. Did I leave it in the taxi? It was a TAI taxi and I have their number but it’s in my cell phone, which is in my missing bag.
I retraced my steps which brought me to the X-ray machine. There I saw my bag on top of the counter of the lady airport personnel supervising the monitoring of the items loaded in the X-ray machine. Her name is Myrna Pardines.
What a relief to see my bag. I excitedly claimed my bag but Ms Pardines said I have to prove that I was the owner of my bag. I told her my name. She asked for my ticket. I replied, “It’s in my bag.” She asked for my ID. I replied, with some irritation: “It’s in my bag.”
P03 Mauro Fernandez, a young, no-nonsense member of the Philippine National Police at NAIA3, joined Pardines. He made me open my bag and believed my claim of ownership when my ID matched the name I gave them.
But they would not still give me back my bag. Fernandez wanted me to list all the items in my bag because he said it happened before that the owner of a recovered bag complained of missing bills.
My bag is my house. I carry a lot of things when I travel. I told them that I will just sign a certification that the contents of the bag were complete. Fernandez wouldn’t agree.
I was getting irritated but there was nothing that I could do. So I listed every item, down to the last centavo; my IDs ; my cards; reading materials;shawl; ballpens, toiletries; and medicines including three pieces of Band-Aid; etc. etc. After accomplishing that, I rushed to the check-in counter. I made it very well ahead of closing time.
That’s when I realized that my testiness towards Fernandez and Pardines was uncalled for. They were doing their job well. Imagine if my bag was picked up by a dishonest person!
I went back to them and apologized. Fernandez said he understood . Passengers leaving their bags inside the airport is a common occurrence. He said there was one time when the bag contained a big amount of dollars. He said he was never tempted to get what does not belong to him.
He is a single parent to three kids.
Thank you very much, PO3 Fernandez and Ms Pardines. May we have more of you in public service.
Glad to read about your experience with honest people. Just hoping there are many more of US around! 😉
Was it public service, lost opportunity or plain stupidity?
Have you heard of the person manning the x-ray machine at the pre-departure area of Terminal 3 who received Php 50.00 to let go an unsealed JW Black? It happened to my friend last month on his way to Tacloban.
Do you know that NAIA security manning the pre-departure scanner confiscate “packing tapes” on hand carried luggages? Would a terrorist use a packing tape to tie a person in a one-hour flight? Bago siguro makatali ng isang taong nagpupumiglas gamit ang packing tape, eh nakalanding na yung eroplano. They confiscated my hand carried packing tape on my way to my hometown in Albay.
Yung explanation nila kung bakit kailangang isulat lahat ay BS. Paano mo isusulat ang wala kung nawala na? Your attestation that the contents were complete to your satisfaction would suffice.
At kung meron ibang tao na nawalan ng bag at yun ang tunay na may ari, mate-trace at mahuhuli naman kung sino yung umangkin dahil sa pangalan sa ticket at meron pang isang oras bago makarating sa destination ang impostor.
Kung nagpahiwatig ka kaya na magbibigay ka para mapadali at lumusot, tulad ng ginawa ng kaibigan ko sa JB Black, unsung hero pa din kaya sila?
Serbisyo Publiko.
Good apples such as the two NAIA terminal security people you mentioned, unfortunately, are in the same basket as rotten ones, so they are “picked on” by the doubters. I would cite these two individuals for “doing their job,” and give them the benefit of a doubt (for those na naghihinala.)
Some of these people have no common sense.
Anyway, nag ala-Claudine B ka. Napunde, tapos nag-apologize. Buti na lang walang gulpihan!
06 June 2012
Tomtorres – I agree, we should give them a benefit of the doubt, what they did is/are in contrast to those complaints against airport authorities. However, I am amazed that some people are still doubting what they did.
Delicadeza lang naman, pag may nagawang maganda halos magduda pa tayo.
Duane- sorry, I don’t think it’s plain stupidity. We should give the two of them a break. And, if you travel alot and read the airport authorities regulations around the world, then you should understand, if it is not allowed it is not allowed.
prans
” Don’t try to understand everything, because sometimes it is not meant to be understood, but to be accepted “..” One kind word can change someone’s entire day “..” Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good, but you may gain something even better”…my penny worth of comments to that experience you had in the airport, with the “unexpected script”, because of the missing bag, that needs authentication of ownership..God Bless always in all your trips..
Ang observation ko, mas mahigpit ang security sa NAIA terminals kaysa sa probinsya. Kapag sa Manila, itinatago ko ang lighter sa underwear or socks at dalawang beses may frisking napero kapag sa probinsya, nasa bulsa ko na lang ang lighter at hindi naman nag fifrisk, unless tumunog yung metal detector. Siguro Ms. Ellen, kung sa Antique airport nangyari yan, upon presentation of your ID, wala nang hassle.
Sa mga terminals, 3 ang security personnel, namely:
1. PNP detailed at airport – mga maayos kausap ang mga ito, professional ang approach at eeksena lang kapag may incident.
2.
2. Airport security/airport police – maayos din kausap minsan, medyo inflated ang mga ego pero tolerable.
3. Security guards – ito ang mga co#o sa lahat. Akala mo kung sino makasita. Yung mga PNP, marunong mag good morning pero ang mga sikyu, maangas palagi.
Swerte mo Ms. Ellen at PNP personnel at airport police ang nakaharap mo. Kung sikyu siguro, baka tumaas ang blood pressure mo.
@Pranning: I’ve travelled a lot in SE Asia and in the Middle East ang nobody cared to confiscate the packing tape in my hand carried luggage, except in NAIA T3.
Does it mean PH airport security personnel are smarter than their Asian counterparts?
I have not been to an Asian airport where all vehicles are checked prior to their entry to the airport premises to unload passengers and well wishers, except in NAIA. KIndly cite one, even in the US and Europe, and it’s appreciated as it would enhance my knowledge.
This is disturbing news. GMA and Garci are cleared of election fraud in 2004. This fraud was way much worse than that of 2007. How could this happen?
I hope the FPJ supporters know of this development.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/5772-gma-cleared-in-poll-case
ReyP #11 .I still have to see the documents. It depends kasi on the evidence. Hindi pwedeng bara-bara lang.Kahit naman anong bagay, dapat maayos ang trabaho.
Siguro Ms. Ellen, kung sa Antique airport nangyari yan, upon presentation of your ID, wala nang hassle.-Oblak #8
On the contrary, when there were still flights to Antique (not anymore), the airport personnel there were very strict.Mano-mano ang inspection. One time, they found alkaline batteries in my checked in (this is checked-in!) baggage. Ayaw talaga ipasama. I had to leave it to them.
I always bring batteries and as long as it’s checked-in, walang problema except that incident.
One time also, I brought a plant from our place in Antique and there was no quarantine officer. Asian Spirit refused to load it without quarantine clearance. Was it my fault that the quarantine officer didn’t report?
I had to call the office of the governor. Someone called up the provincial office of the Department of Agriculture who sent a quarantine officer to the airport.
(I was told that the quarantine officer assigned that day went to Iloilo without informing them. The absent officer justified his absence by saying that many times, he was not doing anything as there was nothing to clear. Unfortunately, the day he was absent, that’s when he was needed because I was bringing a plant.)
Probably the plant was stressed out by the incident,namatay.
gmanetwork.com/news/story/220974/news/nation/pnoy-inspects-naia-1-a-day-after-ceiling-accident (dagdagan na lang ng “www.”)
This story happened in May last year, when Pnoy inspected NAIA-1 with a phalanx of cabinet members at around the time news carried the story that our airport was one of the worst, if not the worst, airport in the world. 3-inch thick concrete parts of the ceiling fell and hurt some employees.
Fast forward 13 months later and still no improvement on the airport structural flaws. Today we have this news:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/06/07/12/portion-naia-1-ceiling-collapses
Ang baaagaaaal naman. Will it need one year to START to take corrective measures – budgeting, bidding, awards, construction – especially for EMERGENCY work? The projected rehab will start in July! Daw.
Kelan ba kikilos ng tama sa oras itong mga bata mo, Noynoy? Ikaw, kelan ka kikiklos?
Kunsabagay, when we were contracted to analyze the airport’s electrical system sometime 2006-2007, we found out that the vehicular ramp going up to the departure area was sinking. In fact the foot of the ramp was clamping with its weight against critical High Voltage (36Kilovolt) distribution cables. It was dangerous because once HV cables lose insulation or just get pinhead-sized holes in the insulation, expect a loud explosion and fireworks equivalent to a 100 sticks of dynamite explosion.
The engineers know that, even Takenaka, the Japanese contractor, knows it.
One year after that, in Runway 6/24 all the runway lights shut off because of flood. Normally, it would not be affected by floodwater because the wires were contained in sealed metal pipes. But the sagging concrete dented the metal pipes such that it stripped the wires off its insulation, the water shorted the exposed wires. Buti na lang low voltage ito, kaya walang explosion, circuit breaker trip lang due to short circuit.
I’ve not heard that the High Voltage has been fixed, though. It’s a catastrophe waiting to happen.
(Note: Do not talk about explosions when you’re inside NAIA, baka hindi kayo pauwiin.)
Ano ba yan???