MCIAA takes down LGU stalls where passenger documents are checked

Stalls put up by local government units (LGUs) to regulate incoming passengers have now been taken down in the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

This followed a resolution passed on Friday, February 5, by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) Board on the immediate removal of the stalls. These stalls were manned by LGUs to screen passengers’ documents in order for them to proceed to their destination.

They were cleared from the airport passageways on the same day.

“By virtue of the authority vested by our Charter, Republic Act 6958, in compliance with the MCIAA Board’s instruction, and consistent with pertinent IATF issuances, GMCAC (GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation) is hereby directed to immediately remove the desks, signages and other related paraphernalia utilized by the LGU representatives implementing their respective community quarantine rules and regulations at the airport,” wrote MCIAA officer-in-charge Glenn Napuli in his memorandum order.

The resolution was proposed by Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who sits as a member of the board.

Garcia, in a recent press conference, called out personnel from the Cebu City emergency operations center for reportedly requiring a letter of acceptance furnished by the Capitol and the local government unit of destination from incoming passengers bound for the province.

Garcia maintained that the Cebu Provincial Government has not issued a memorandum requiring letters of acceptance from locally stranded individuals or authorized persons outside residences headed for its component cities and municipalities.

Napuli told Rappler the move was intended to provide a “comfortable airport experience” to its passengers.

“To be consistent with IATF protocols and MCIAA’s intention to be the friendliest airport in the world the MCIAA Board decided to remove the LGU desks for arriving domestic passengers in the Airport Terminal. NAIA does not have the LGU desks. While MCIAA fully supports the fight against the spread of COVID-19, it also needs to perform its mandate to provide comfortable airport experience to airline passengers,” he said.

All restricted area badges and access passes issued to all LGU personnel assigned at the stalls have also been revoked. – Rappler.com