MIAA: 7 of 16 recommendations by US Homeland Security already addressed

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Thursday said it is set to implement corrective measures to address concerns cited by the United States Homeland Security, adding that almost half of the latter's recommendations for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have already been completed.

In a statement, MIAA said it is now addressing the concerns raised by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a recent advisory.

"Following the travel advisory issued late last night by the US Department of Homeland Security, we at the Department of Transportation / Office of Transportation Security / MIAA assure the traveling public that we shall continue to adhere to internationally accepted security protocols and standards," the statement read.

"All points raised by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) auditors have either been addressed or are in the process of being addressed," it added.

The statement came after the DHS warned that the security at the NAIA, currently under the helm of the MIAA, does not meet international standards.

In its advisory released late Wednesday, the DHS said the Philippines' main gateway "does not maintain and carry out effective security consistent with the security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)."

"There is no cause for alarm even as we put in place security enhancements following the recommendations of the US TSA. There is nothing among these recommendations that cannot be addressed," the MIAA statement read.

At a separate press conference, MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said that the DHS came up with 16 recommendations for NAIA to step up its security protocol, of which seven have already been completed.

The remaining nine recommendations, Monreal said, are now being addressed as he said these cover mainly the consistency and sustainability of security protocol in the airport.

Monreal said the MIAA is now in the process of procuring more security equipment and boosting its manpower to properly implement protocol.

"Unang una is that there will be a change in terms of equipment. We are directing the (agencies) to comply and change all these equipment within the soonest time possible," he said.

"Pangalawa ho is the consistency and sustainable implementation of security protocols," added Monreal. — MDM, GMA News