Dubai: More airlines have responded to the call for the removal of aviation charges collected from overseas Filipino workers.
At least one airline that operates flights to the UAE from the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, announced on Tuesday that they have just eliminated the terminal fees charged to certified overseas workers.
This means that the cost of the ticket purchased by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Cebu Pacific will now be about Dh40 cheaper and that returning expats will no longer have to queue prior to departure to redeem the terminal fee.
Passengers travelling through airports in the Philippines, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) are required to pay approximately Dh40 or 550 pesos.
While Filipino expatriates are exempted from the fee, they still end up paying it, as airlines automatically add the amount to the total cost of the air ticket.
Returning migrant workers have to queue up at the airport prior to departure, to redeem the fee upon presentation of their overseas employment certificate (OEC). A significant number of OFWs are either not aware of this entitlement or just too busy to claim it, which means millions of pesos worth of unclaimed terminal fees have gone to the general fund of the NAIA.
Just last March, the Philippines’ Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered global airlines to cease and desist from incorporating the terminal fee, as well as travel tax, in tickets issued to Filipino expatriates.
One of the first airlines to respond to the order, Emirates said that OFWs who book flights with them and hold a valid OEC are entitled to the Philippine travel tax and terminal fees exemption. The airline has not specified the details on how passengers can avail themselves of the exemption.
Cebu Pacific said that passengers who book through the airline’s ticketing offices or travel agencies have to present valid documents at the time of purchase.
For bookings made through the Cebu Pacific reservation hotlines or via the website, valid documents must be presented at the airport bag drop counter upon check-in. Bookings made through the airline’s mobile app and GetGo (points) redemption will allow exemptions soon.
“After months of working with the MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) on the details, Cebu Pacific is very proud to be the first carrier to make available such a benefit for our Filipino expats. We are pleased to offer our kababayans working abroad the convenience of not having to go through a process of reimbursement for fees they are already exempted from under the Migrant Workers Act,” said JR Mantaring, Cebu Pacific vice president for corporate affairs.
Aside from Filipino expats, pilgrims with authorisation from the Philippine Sports Commission, and guests who have been issued an MIAA exemption certificate (MEC) are also exempted from paying the fee, provided valid documents are presented.
