In a move to protect travelers’ documents and address rising concerns, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has ordered security personnel to stop handling passengers’ passports during terminal entry checks.
The new directive, announced Tuesday, aims to prevent unnecessary contact and minimize the risk of passport damage. Instead of handing over their documents, passengers will now simply be asked to present them visibly to security staff for verification.
The change comes in response to recent reports of travelers being barred from boarding flights due to torn or damaged passports. One such case involved a passenger whose father was denied boarding by Cebu Pacific on an April 15 flight to Bali after staff found a minor tear in his passport.
Although the incident took place at a check-in counter in Terminal 3, NAIA clarified that no security staff were involved in the reported damage.
“We are working closely with the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Immigration, and our airline partners to ensure smoother procedures and prevent future issues,” NAIA said in a statement.
An official investigation into the matter has been launched by the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aeronautics Board.
