Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 4) — A lawmaker is pushing for subsidized and discounted airfares for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by a spike in ticket prices after the New Year’s Day system glitch at the country’s main airport.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sen. Raffy Tulfo urged airline companies to provide special rates to affected migrant workers who wish to return home.
His office also said he has coordinated with the Department of Migrant Workers on possibly subsidizing airfares.
Some OFWs have turned to the senator to express frustration over the surge in airline ticket prices following the technical issue at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights and affected 65,000 passengers.
The glitch affected the whole Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), which is used by air traffic controllers for visibility of air space and for communication with pilots.
“It would be unfair for our OFWs to absorb the fault or negligence of CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) for the maintenance of their CNS/ATM system,” Tulfo said.
“Marami sa kanila isang beses lang o mas malimit pa makauwi sa isang taon. Yung pera na sana pangpasalubong o di kaya pang suporta sa kanilang pamilya ay pilitang napunta na lang sa pamasahe [A lot of them go home only once a year, maybe even fewer times than that. The money that they could’ve been used to buy things for their family or support them instead just goes to airfares],” the senator added.
Tulfo’s office said it has talked to an airline company, which explained that the sudden increase in prices was based on a “demand-based algorithm.”
CAAP said an internal probe to determine the cause of the incident is still ongoing. Senators, meanwhile, will be conducting a hearing into the matter late next week to allow airport and other transport officials to normalize operations first.
