Sen. Grace Poe—Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit
MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Grace Poe expressed concern that while the presence of bed bugs and rats at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was “untypical,” this could impact Philippine tourism negatively if neglected.
In a statement, Poe urged airport authorities to conduct deep cleaning at the NAIA, the country’s main gateway.
“NAIA should conduct a deep cleaning of the airport to see to it that all nooks and crannies are free of pests,” she said.
“The bed bug infestation and reported sightings of rats may be untypical incidents, but in the bigger scheme of things, [it] could scare travelers and have a dent in our tourism,” said Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services.
Poe said she hoped that “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 previously stated that there was a growing infestation problem internationally and not only in the Philippines.
NAIA earlier drew flak after two Facebook posts went viral alleging that bed bugs had made their home in the terminals’ steel and rattan chairs.
The Manila International Airport Authority, which manages NAIA, apologized for the incident and ordered enhanced sanitation measures at the airport’s facilities to rid it of pests, like bed bugs.
But days after the bed bug fiasco made headlines, a huge rat was supposedly seen roaming the premises of the airport.
In a video posted by @Curve251 on X (formerly Twitter), a rat can be seen roaming the ceiling of NAIA Terminal 3’s departure area.
The uploader told INQUIRER.net that the video was taken before 1 a.m. on March 1.
Hello NAIA, una surot, ngayon naman may daga sa international departure? Yung totoo?!?! pic.twitter.com/7FQvkGkBab
— Kerb 🖤 (@Curve251) February 29, 2024
READ: MIAA: NAIA Terminals 2 and 3 now free from bed bugs
“Hello NAIA, una surot, ngayon naman may daga sa international departure? Yung totoo?!?!,” wrote @Curve251 in his caption.
(Hello NAIA, first there were bed bugs, now there are rats in the international departure area? What’s the truth?!?!)
The MIAA issued a statement apologizing to passengers who complained of bed bug bites after sitting in chairs in NAIA Terminals 2 and 3.
READ: MIAA takes action as ‘surot’ issue bites Naia Terminals 2 and 3
MIAA also ordered an inspection and enhanced sanitation in the terminals.
In a radio interview on Friday (March 1), MIAA head executive assistant Chris Noel Bendijo said the airport is now free from bed bugs.
This screengrab from the video posted Friday, March 1, 2024, by @Curve251 on X (formerly Twitter) shows a rat roaming on the ceiling of the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“We have examined, we have inspected our seats, safe po ang ating mga upuan (our seats are safe),” Bendijo said in an interview with Radyo 630.
MIAA has not yet issued a statement on the rat video as of posting time.