Senator Raffy Tulfo appealed to airline companies to give special rates for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affected by the technical glitch at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently.
According to Tulfo, airfare doubled when the Communications, Navigation and Surveillance System for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) malfunctioned.
The surge in airfare prices is also the reason why some OFWs failed to home to their families in the Philippines last Christmas and New Year.
Some OFWs affected by the air system fiasco sought the assistance of the legislator.
They complained that a one-way flight ng Manila-Japan costs P90,000 to P140,000.
‘Yung pera na sana pangpasalubong o di kaya pang suporta sa kanilang pamilya ay pilitang napunta na lang sa pamasahe.”
“It would be unfair for our OFWs to absorb the fault or negligence of CAAP for the maintenance of their CNS/ATM system. 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,” the lawmaker said.
“Consider giving OFWs a preferential pricing system.”
The senator urged the Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific to consider giving OFWs a preferential pricing system.
One airline company explained to the Office of Senator Raffy Tulfo that this is due to the demand-based algorithm which is used by airlines in increasing airfare rates.
He has coordinated with the Department of Migrant Workers on the possibility of subsidizing the airfare to get a discounted rate for OFWs affected by the traffic system failure.
“I stand with my colleagues, especially Sen. Grace Poe and the Senate President Zubiri in initiating an investigation as to the breakdown of essential navigational and air traffic control systems,” Tulfo stressed.
