SEND-OFF and welcome of passengers at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (also known as Davao International Airport) in Davao City are still prohibited except for a few considerations, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) in Davao Region.
In an interview with SunStar Davao on Monday, December 19, Caap-Davao airport manager Rex Obcena said only one to two persons per passenger, either with or without a private vehicle, can enter the airport.
“Despite the policy statement saying no greeting and send-off, we allow na naa mag sundo but gina-regulate na lang namo, especially kanang mga walk in (we allow those who would pick-up but we are regulating how many can enter, especially those walk-ins),” Obcena said.
The policy ensures that the airport would not be crowded with people waiting for the arrival of passengers, since there are cases where more than three people would pick up just one person.
Obcena added that it is for security purposes since the Davao International Airport currently has no facility to accommodate large crowds or bystanders within its vicinity.
“We are not discriminating kung naa sakyanan o wala (if they have a private vehicle or not) because we have a standing order even before to allow ang mga walk in,” he said, addressing a Facebook post calling out the policy of the airport management.
The post, published on December 18, showed a number of people waiting on the side of the road outside the airport’s gates.
“Nag-implement na bawal pumasok ang mga susundo pag walang private service and yet wala kayong ma provide na chairs man lang for Dabawenyos na naghihintay sa pamilya nila sa airport (They prohibit entry to those picking up arrivals without a vehicle and yet they can’t even provide chairs to Dabawenyos waiting for their loved ones at the airport),” said the publisher, a Facebook page called Laking Davao.
Obcena said he will call for a meeting with Caap-Davao to discuss the root cause of the incident since he said it is not a daily occurrence at the airport wherein many people are waiting outside the gates.
“We have to know basig pamilya pud to sila na daghan sila nag sundo, dili gyod sila kasulod tanan (Maybe they were all from one family thus they really can;t enter because we limit it to only two people). Kung musulti ka na daily mahitabo, dili (This is not a daily occurrence) because this has been a long standing policy,” Obcena said.
As of Tuesday, December 20, SunStar Davao has reached out to the City Tourism Operations Office for their comments on the issue but they have yet to respond.
Since there is no official facility or designated area for people waiting to welcome or send off passengers, they resort to the waiting shed designated for taxis while some loiter in the parking lot.
“We have an area but it’s not designed to accommodate large crowds. That is one of the reasons also na-issue ang no greet and no send-off,” Obcena said.
Obcena added that Caap-Davao and the City Administrator’s Office have talked about the possibility of creating a designated area to address the issue and hopefully allow welcome and send-off at the airport again but he emphasized that none of their discussion is definite yet.
The prohibition of send-off and pick-up at the Davao International Airport was first implemented in February 2020 under the leadership of former mayor Vice President Sara Duterte to address the concerns and threats brought about by the Covid-19 disease.
The same policy was also implemented in seaports, bus terminals, and other transportation hubs.