The administration of Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been asked not to hold janitors and housekeeping staff accountable for the infestation.
This after Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eric Jose Ines expressed dissatisfaction with the way they handled their jobs at the airport terminals and is considering revoking their contracts.
“We hope this (contract revocation) would not push through. What will happen to us after that. Our family is poor and struggling, and this is only the source of our income,” said a housekeeping worker said.
Another airport employee, 45-year old janitress, admitted there was a moment she personnaly experienced a rat infestation over a decade ago, leading to passengers screaming at terminal 1.
“The passengers ran away screaming after seeing the rat at the hallway. But that was a long time ago .. more than 10 years. But no complaints have been made since then,” she said.
‘I’ve been working here since 1999. I clean the restroom, offices, hallway. Our superiors are very happy and satisfied with our job. No one is complaining, even the passengers are not complaining,” she added.
In a radio interview on Monday, Ines said there were lapses on the part of the housekeeping and pest control units to clean and maintain the four terminal facilities properly. He said he is contemplating on terminating the contracts.
But the workers are appealing to the airport management not to push through with the plan finishing their contract.
Air travelers took to social media to complain about being bitten by bed bugs on the benches in the departure area of NAIA Terminal 2. A few days later, another incident was reported, where passengers spotted a rat in Terminal 3.
Ines earlier came up with a public apology to the passengers victimized by the infestation and ordered his men to conduct the investigation and review the contracts of private contractors involve in house maintenance and pest control.
