This was after a post circulated online.
In its statement on Sunday, April 6, the Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) has denounced a post spreading on social media regarding a supposed travel advisory against the country by the United States of America.
The said post was reported to have been displayed at Sacramento International Airport in California, with warning against the country’s main airport at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
To clarify matters, Transport Secretary Vince Dizon wrote to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
In response, the TSA confirmed that the advisory was an old one, dating back to 2018, which was eventually lifted in 2019. They also took down the advisory on Sunday, 9:00 am, the DOTr noted.
This old travel advisory was lifted as early as August 2019 and came after extensive upgrades and close coordination with U.S. authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also formally rescinded its public advisory, acknowledging the Philippines’ full compliance with international security standards, with no new advisories issued against NAIA or any Philippine airport.
“We take these matters very seriously, this is why we immediately reached out to the TSA officials here in Manila and officially sought clarification, and if there was any truth to this, we requested that this be immediately taken down so as to prevent further confusion and anxiety for travelers to the Philippines”, said Dizon.
Since September 2024, private consortium New NAIA Infra Corp. is at helm of the management and operations of NAIA, with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) shifiting its functions to a regulatory body.