MANILA, Philippines—Five of the 12 Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) ramp controllers who recently quit for better paying jobs are hanging on—for now.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado said they were able to talk to five of the dozen ramp controllers to stay at their jobs for the meantime.
“Of them, five we were able to convince to withdraw their resignation. So we only lost seven ramp controllers,” the official clarified in an interview Monday.
Most of the NAIA ramp controllers were hired on a contractual basis under the LBP Services Corp. with a monthly salary of around P13,000.
The ramp controllers at the four NAIA terminals who resigned in recent months reportedly either applied for overseas jobs as air traffic controllers or at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
An air traffic controller at the CAAP reportedly earns a P28,000 monthly salary.
This leaves the NAIA with around 39 ramp controllers deployed at Terminals 1 to 3 and the domestic airport in three shifts, Honrado said.
“We are okay, everything is normal and the public has nothing to worry about. We are also moving to have the vacancies filled up through our rationalization of technical positions,” he assured the public.
The MIAA has a requirement of 12 ramp controllers for each airport terminal, alternating for three working shifts of eight hours each.
A ramp controller directs aircraft after landing and guides the pilots where to park and how to avoid obstacles on the ground.
The MIAA, which operates the NAIA, is rationalizing permanent positions but this still needs the approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“It’s up to the DBM although I cannot say when these positions will be approved,” Honrado said when asked when the posts are likely to be opened.
Previously, Honrado said the rationalization includes three new positions at the Terminal Operations Center for a ramp control supervisor, a shift-in-charge and a ramp controller.
If approved, the new positions will have government salary grades 19, 18 and 15 with the lowest salary grade 15 having a P15,000 salary and the highest grade, 19 with P28,000 in monthly wages.
Asked if they hope to entice the resigned ramp controllers to apply for the soon-to-be created permanent posts, Honrado said it will be up to the workers if better opportunities are available.
Meanwhile, the MIAA signed a new agreement with LBPSC increasing the airport workers’ pay from P13,000 to P15,000 a month.