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How is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Philippines' main gateway, fixing its pest problem?

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How do you solve a problem like NAIA's pest mess?

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<p>How is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Philippines&#x27; main gateway, fixing its pest problem? </p><p>According to Chris Noel Bendijo, Manila International Airport Authority head executive assistant, sightings of bugs and rodents in the country&#x27;s airport may soon be a thing of the past as pest control providers step up cleanings and rodent response to destroy the pest problem. </p><p>&quot;Mas madalas na ang pag-steam sa mga gang chairs para masigurado na walang infestation ng surot sa mga upuan,&quot; he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.</p><p>(Steaming of gang chairs in the airport is now done more frequently to get rid of bed bugs.)</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">MIAA general manager Eric Jose Ines earlier said </span></div><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>one set of 20 4-seater gang chairs are cleaned thoroughly once every 3 months.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/3/-may-kapabayaan-miaa-admits-airport-pest-mess-due-to-neglect-751" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIAA admits airport pest mess due to neglect</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/1/surot-sa-naia-paano-susugpuin-854" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Surot sa NAIA, paano susugpuin?</a></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2974381"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><p>Killing all rats in the airport poses a bigger problem, Bendijo said, since pest control cannot just put up traps all over NAIA. Instead, all openings where rats could pass through have been temporarily sealed off to control the movement of the rodents, he said.</p><p>A portion of the airport not accessible to the public has been sealed off in the hopes that all rodents will go there.</p><p>&quot;The intention is to lead them there. That’s where we set up most of the sticky trap, live trap,&quot; he said. </p><p>Feedback from pest control providers is that the rodents being caught are getting smaller. &quot;That’s a good sign that our measures are effective,&quot; the MIAA official said.</p><p>He added: &quot;Every time na may rodent sightings ipinapa-alam sa terminal manager at inoorasan ang kanilang response time. To be fair, ang kanilang average response time is around 12 to 15 minutes. Agad silang naglalagay ng controlled trap kung saan may sighting.&quot;</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2979035"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><p> MIAA officials earlier met with airport pest control providers after passengers complained of bed bugs, cockroaches and rats in the airport.</p><p>Bendijo said pest control providers have not been replaced but noted renewal of government contracts is not automatic this year. &quot;There will be a new bidding with revised and renewed terms of reference in which there will be a heavier penalty in case of violation of the service provider,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>How is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Philippines' main gateway, fixing its pest problem?</p>