'Untypical' rats, bedbugs in NAIA can have a dent on tourism - Poe
By Dhel Nazario
Senator Grace Poe warned incidents such as bed bug infestation and reported sightings of rats in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) may be "untypical" but it may leave an unfavorable impression among tourists.
"The bed bug infestation and reported sightings of rats may be untypical incidents, but in the bigger scheme of things could scare travelers and have a dent on our tourism," Poe said in a statement.
She added that NAIA should conduct a deep cleaning of the airport to see to it that all nooks and crannies are free of pests.
"We hope there would not be glitches in the planned rehabilitation project of NAIA to rid it of all pests and give passengers only positive experience," Poe said.
The rattan chairs infested with bed bugs (surot) that bit many inconvenienced passengers at the NAIA have finally been discarded by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
MIAA General Manager Eric Ines ordered the removal of the infested rattan chairs inside the NAIA Terminals 2 and 3.
On Feb. 28, the MIAA management apologized to the public after receiving complaints from bitten passengers who took their ordeal on social media.