Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) — Who would have thought that a simple Facebook post would allow others to go to places?
Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Rakel Pidor Ross shared how her fellow Air Asia passengers on Tuesday helped carry the 7-kilogram excess luggage of a soldier headed to Cotabato.
Ross said other Flight Z2615 passengers helped an Army man who exceeded the luggage weight limit by splitting the items into their own bags.
She herself took 2 kilograms of his excess baggage, while another passenger took 5 kilograms.
Ross also shared how they all cheered when the soldier was finally allowed to board the plane.
“I posted the open letter originally to Air Asia’s page. Hoping that our sentiments will be heard by the Air Asia management. I didn’t expect that it will go viral,” she told CNN Philippines on Thursday. Her post quickly went viral after it was reposted by another netizen.
In her Facebook post, Ross urged the Malaysian airline officials to give leeway to soldiers who were “risking their lives for our security, our peace, our freedom.”
She posted the letter Tuesday afternoon. She said Air Asia responded the next day, saying her post was being forwarded to concerned teams of the airline.
The soldier was travelling with two other members of the military who were bound for Marawi.
Ross had a chat with the soldiers, who shared they paid for their flight.
“To be flown on C-130, may schedule daw po yan. If mag antay sila ng days or weeks they will be stranded sa Manila, and magastos po tumambay dun. So they opted to fly with AirAsia at their own expense and to spend that little time at least sa mga pamilya nila bago susulong,” she said.
[Translation: A C-130 has a schedule. If they wait for days or weeks, they will be stranded in Manila, and that would incur additional expenses. So they opted to fly with AirAsia at their own expense and to spend time with their families before going to the field.]
Ross said she was “captivated by the generosity and kindness” the passengers showed, as others were also willing to help out, describing the incident as “like Filipinos in Bayanihan.” She said the passengers’ gesture was their own little way of saying thank you for the bigger job the soldiers were doing for the country.
Bayanihan
AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Capt. Dexter Comendador announced Wednesday evening that the airline will extend free baggage allowance of up to 40kgs — compared to the normal 32 kilogram limit for check-in baggage — to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel in a peacekeeping mission, applicable to any flight.
The airline charges P360 per kilogram for excess baggage for Manila to Davao flights, according to its website.
“We recognize the incredible sacrifices of our military heroes and the Bayanihan spirit among Filipinos. The incident has inspired many including us,” the post read.
The airline will also give in-flight meals and snacks, provided the soldiers present their official identification and mission order.
Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Eduardo Año thanked the passengers and Air Asia for extending help to the troops.
“Sana hindi po kayo magsawa sa panalangin para sa ating kawal at para sa kapayapaan para sa ating inang bayan. Harinawa tularan rin ng karamihan ang ginawa ng mga kababayan natin at ng Air Asia,” he said in a statement.
[Translation: I hope people will never get tired of praying for our soldiers and for the peace of our country. I also hope others will emulate what AirAsia, and its passengers, have done.]
